Superiority of 3 Over 2 Doses of Intermittent Preventive Treatment With Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine for the Prevention of Malaria During Pregnancy in Mali: A Randomized Controlled Trial

(See the article by Harrington et al, on pages 224–230, and editorial commentary by Lake and Taylor, on pages 231–233.) Background . In 2003, Mali introduced intermittent preventive therapy in pregnancy (ITPp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for the control of malaria in pregnancy, consisting of 2 doses of SP given in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. This widely used regimen, although very effective, leaves many women unprotected from malaria during the last 4-to-8 weeks of gestation, which is a pivotal period for fetal weight gain. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 3-dose versus 2-dose IPTp-SP for the prevention of placental malaria and associated low birth weight (LBW). Methods . We conducted a parallel-group, open-label, individually randomized controlled superiority trial involving 814 women of all gravidity, enrolled from April 2006 through March 2008. All women were seen at least 3 times and received either 2 ( n = 401) or 3 ( n = 413) doses of IPTp-SP. The primary endpoint measured was placental malaria, LBW, preterm births, and maternal anemia were secondary endpoints, and severe maternal skin reactions and neonatal jaundice were safety endpoints. Results . Among the 96% of study subjects who were followed up until delivery, the prevalence of placental malaria was 2-fold lower in the 3-dose group (8.0%) than in the 2-dose group (16.7%); the adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) was 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32–0.71). LBW and preterm births were also reduced; the prevalence of LBW was 6.6% in the 3-dose group versus 13.3% in the 2-dose group (APR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.32–0.79), and the prevalence of preterm births was 3.2% versus 8.9% (APR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19–0.71). No significant reductions in maternal anemia or differences in safety endpoints were observed. Conclusions . Adding a third dose of ITPp-SP halved the risk of placental malaria, LBW, and preterm births in all gravidae, compared with the standard 2-dose regimen, in this area of highly seasonal transmission with low ...