Associations of maternal iron deficiency with malaria infection in a cohort of pregnant Papua New Guinean women

Iron deficiency (ID) is common in malaria-endemic settings. Intermittent preventative treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) and iron supplementation are core components of antenatal care in endemic regions to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes. ID has been associated with reduced risk of malaria infection, and correspondingly, iron supplementation with increased risk of malaria infection, in some studies. A secondary analysis was conducted amongst 1888 pregnant women enrolled in a malaria prevention trial in Papua New Guinea. Maternal ID was defined as inflammation-corrected plasma ferritin levels