Prevalence of schistosomiasis and its association with anemia among pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease that can lead to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. To our knowledge, there has been no systematic review and meta-analysis of schistosomiasis during pregnancy. Methods We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant published studies were searched in international databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar), from their inception until May 31, 2020. The retrieved studies were assessed for quality using the Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. OpenMeta Analyst software was used for the statistical analysis. Results Thirty-two studies enrolling 21024 pregnant women were included in this meta-analysis. All 32 of these studies were conducted in Africa. Of these studies, 19, 11, and 2 investigated S. mansoni, S. haematobium, and combined S. mansoni and S. haematobium infections, respectively. The pooled prevalence estimate of schistosomiasis during pregnancy was 13.2% (95 CI 11.0–15.4). A random model was used because of high heterogeneity (Q = 99.14; P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, the pooled prevalence estimate of S. haematobium was significantly higher than the pooled prevalence estimates of S. mansoni [22.5% (95% CI 1.6–43.5) vs 8.7% (95% CI 6.0–11.3, P = 0.016), respectively]. The results of meta-regression analyses showed a non-significant difference in the prevalence of schistosomiasis during pregnancy according to the study sample sizes and year of publication. Only six studies evaluated the association between schistosomiasis during pregnancy and anemia. Schistosomiasis was associated with anemia in these six studies (OR = 3.02, 95% = 1.25‒7.28, P = 0.014). Conclusion The present meta-analysis suggests that schistosomiasis during pregnancy is an existing health problem. This meta-analysis also highlights the lack of data on the determinants and outcomes of schistosomiasis during pregnancy. Preventive measures are needed and could be part of antenatal care in areas endemic with schistosomiasis.

Endemicity of urinary schistosomiasis in Ihube Okigwe Imo state

“…Udonsi [9] in Igwun river basin north Bende (37.0%), schistosomiasis is the second leading cause of infectious diseases next to malaria in Africa [10] . According to [11] the pooled prevalence of schistosomiasis during pregnancy was 13.2%. Observations of 12 showed that odds of schistosome infections were lowest among people between (15-24 years of age), caregivers (0.1, 95%), and those who used tap water (0.3, 95%) for domestic purposes.…”

The Fire Under the Ash: Parasitic infections as potential risk factors for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children

“…Regarding schistosomiasis as the second most common parasitic infection in the world and one of the most imperative causes of anemia (Mnkugwe et al 2020), it was logic to interpret the existence of schistosomiasis in ADHD group. Urinary and gastrointestinal schistosomiasis can predispose to iron de ciency anemia either by direct blood loss in urine and stool or by associated schistosomal hypersplenism (Adam et al 2021). On the other hand, Schistosoma infection was reported to be highly associated with learning and memory de cits due to cognitive dysfunction by different mechanisms either directly through eggs deposition in the brain, or indirectly, via infection associated iron-de ciency and malnutrition (Ezeamama et al 2018).…”

Magnitude of Intestinal Parasite Infection and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Service in Shewarobit Town Health Facilities, North Shoa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

“…This finding is similar to the review finding that S. mansoni had 8.7% prevalence. 37 Some factors like hand hygiene, eating uncooked food, water source type, bared foot, health education, and deworming were significantly associated with the risk of IPI in the multivariable logistic regression.…”