Efficacy Outcomes
At delivery, the prevalence of any histopathologically
confirmed placental malaria was significantly
higher in the sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine
group (50.0%) than in the three-dose dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine
group (34.1%, P=0.03)
or the monthly dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine
group (27.1%, P=0.001) (Table 2). All 105 placentas
that were positive for placental malaria
had pigment in fibrin that was indicative of past
infection, but only 7 had parasites indicative of
concomitant active infection. The prevalence of
moderate-to-high-grade pigment deposition was
significantly higher in the sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine
group (33.7%) than in the three-dose
dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group (18.2%,
P=0.02) or the monthly dihydroartemisinin–
piperaquine group (8.3%, P