MALARIA INFESTATION IN INFANTS IN A RURAL AREA OF GUINEE MARITIME (GUINEA CONAKRY) - I - IMMUNE AND PARASITIC STATUS OF NEWBORNS AND THEIR MOTHERS

Among 216 women who had given birth in the rural health maternity cent re of Maferinyah (Guinea), 32% had parasitemia with no clinical signs. Antimalarial antibodies could be measured only for 156 women and were present in ail of them. Serological antimalarial tests were carried o ut on 133 newborns, all of whom had antibodies. The serological result s of 122 mother infant pairs are given in this article. The absence of parasitemia in 122 newborns confirms the rarity of congenital malaria and would seem to favour the protective role of transmitted maternal antibodies.