Seroprevalences of Toxoplasma, malaria, rubella, cytomegalovirus, HIV and treponemal infections among pregnant women in Cotonou, Republic of Benin

Seroprevalences for toxoplasmosis, malaria, rubella, cytomegalovirus, HIV and treponemal infections were evaluated among 211 pregnant women residing in the Cotonou area, Republic of Benin. One hundred and thirteen women (53.6%) had toxoplasma antibodies, 185 (87.7%) malaria antibodies and 181 (85.8%) rubella antibodies. Among the 205 (97.2%) women with cytomegalovirus antibodies, 6 presented recent or current infection. No HIV seropositivity was detected. Five (2.4%) of these women had a positive treponematosis serology corresponding to previous infection or reinfection. These results were compared with previous studies conducted in Africa. Routine serological screening should be recommended in young age and in pregnancy for rubella, only in pregnant women for HIV and toxoplasma infections, in order to control their possible consequences on women and newborns.

[Epidemiologic approach to intrauterine growth retardation in the People's Republic of Benin]

Intra-uterine growth delay is always difficult to define since it is calculated in percentile of a newborn population and requires the creation of stature norms in the population studied. This study, from the maternity hospital in Cotonou, seems in favor of constitutional factors at the origin of fetal hypotrophism. The statistical analysis of the population shows, as a matter of fact, that the small size of the mother and a past history of repeated abortions are the only factors appearing significantly linked to hypotrophism.