Folic Acid Supplementation in Gambian Primigravidae
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2004-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Supplementation with folic acid and iron is recommended for pregnant women in order to
prevent them from developing anemia. In malaria endemic areas of Africa, the World Health
Organization (WHO) now recommends that pregnant women should also be given
sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) once a month after quickening to protect them against malaria
which is especially harmful during pregnancy. However, folic acid is an antagonist of SP so
there is a possibility that giving folic acid with SP could interfere with the ability of the
latter to provide protection against malaria. To investigate this possibility Gambian
primigravidae with malaria parasitemia have been given SP and folic acid at the same time or
on separate occasions two weeks apart and the ability of SP to cure the malaria infection
investigated.
Phase:
Phase 3
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Gates Malaria Partnership London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Collaborators:
Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, The Gambia London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia
Treatments:
Fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination Folic Acid Pyrimethamine Sulfadoxine Vitamin B Complex