Incidencia de las malarias gestacional, congénita y placentaria en Urabá (Antioquia, Colombia), 2005-2007

introduction: gestational (gm), congenital (cm) and placental malaria (pm) and associated mortality frequency in colombia remains unknown, as does gm？s clinical features. objectives: estimating gm, pmand cm prevalence and incidence and mortality caused by gm and cm and describing gm？s symptoms and signs. methodology: this was a descriptive study of pregnant women aged 15-44, their children and placentas; it had longitudinal (cohort) and cross-sectional components. the pregnant women were recruited during their prenatal visits and in the delivery rooms of three towns in urabá (antioquia, colombia) from 2005-2007. results: 2,117 pregnant women were evaluated: a) cohort: n=1,927 women with at least two reviews of thick smear; b) cross-sectional group: n=190 women having had just a thick smear examination (during prenatal consultation or childbirth). there were 220 cases of gm according to thick smear for plasmodium (76% p. vivax, 22% p. falciparum, 2% mixed malaria). gm prevalence was 10.39%, gm incidente 9.28%, 9.01 per 100 women per week gm incidence rate, 2.7% cm and 11.7% pm prevalence. the symptoms and signs found in pregnant women suffering from gm agreed with those for pregnant and non-pregnant women. there were no deaths amongst the 220 pregnant women who had malaria or amongst the five children who presented cm. conclusions: gm, cm and pm frequencies indicated that these types of malaria are public health problems amongst pregnant women and infants in uraba.