Human Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Pregnancy (a pilot study)

 Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Philippines
Center for International Health Research (CIHR)/RIH, USA

The health of a woman affects pregnancy and birth outcomes.  In less developed countries like the Philippines, pregnancy is  complicated by inadequate nutrition, poor environmental conditions and exposure to higher rates of infectious diseases contribute significantly  to LBWs, birthweight as a primary measure of birth outcomes.  Diseases and other problems can often complicate or become more severe during pregnancy.  Malaria with anemia for example  worsens during pregnancy and around 10,000 of these women and 200,000 of their infant die as a result of malaria infection, and severe anemia due to malaria is contributing to half of these deaths.