BOSTON: New research shows a causal link and reveals the mechanisms by which malaria in pregnancy alters the neurocognitive development of millions of children prior to birth.
Although there are some 125 million pregnancies worldwide at risk of malaria infection every year, little was known about the effect maternal malaria may have on the neurodevelopment of the unborn child.
What this new research shows is that given how the environment in the uterus profoundly impacts on the development of a person, malaria in pregnancy does lead to neurocognitive impairment of offspring.
The research team wanted to know if there was a causal link between malaria in pregnancy and neurocognitive impairment and, if this was the case, what mechanisms were causing this to occur, with particular reference to previous research on the mechanism known as “C5a signaling.”
To reach their findings, the researchers used a mouse model of experimental malaria in pregnancy.