Effect of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine on neonatal birth weight and perceptions on its impact on malaria in pregnancy in an intermittent preventive treatment programme setting in Offinso District, Ghana.

This study evaluated the effect of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) use in intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) on birth weights of neonates in a stable malaria transmission area of Ghana, Offinso District. Routine delivery data from six health facilities over the period January 2005 to October 2007 were reviewed. In-depth interviews were conducted for health staff of these facilities to assess the effect of SP use in IPTp in pregnancy. SP-IPTp improved the birth weight of neonates and the effects of age, parity, term of pregnancy and sex of neonate also had significant influence on the birth weight (P < 0.0001). The variation in birth weight of the neonates, however, did not show significant difference (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.8-1.1, P ≥0.26) over the period and seasonal variations had no effect on birth weight (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.7-1.1, P ≥0.18). Health personnel attested to the fact that SP-IPTp had reduced the burden of malaria cases in pregnancy and improved birth weight of neonates. This study, thus, shows that successful implementation of the SP-IPTp strategy will improve the birth weight of neonates, and consequently reduce neonatal mortality.