Association between malaria in pregnancy and children’s socio-emotional development at 6 years of Age in Benin: A prospective mother–child cohort
Abstract
Background In 2023, 12.7 million women were exposed to malaria during pregnancy (MiP), mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. MiP is linked to adverse birth outcomes and cognitive deficits in children, but its association with socio-emotional development remains unclear. This study examines associations between MiP—at any time, specific time points, and by infection frequency—and children’s socio-emotional development at 6 years. Methods and Findings Data derive from the MiPPAD clinical trial, the nested APEC study, and the EXPLORE follow-up at 6 years. Assessments were conducted in three health centers in the Allada district of Benin. MiPPAD enrollment occurred between 2010 and 2012. A total of 477 mother–child dyads had data on MiP and socio-emotional outcomes, and 451 on ADHD symptoms. Unadjusted and multivariate linear regressions examined associations between MiP and children’s outcomes, adjusting for maternal and household characteristics. Overall, 53% of women had at least one episode of MiP or at birth. After adjustment, MiP was not significantly associated with children’s total SDQ difficulties (β = –0.01, 95% CI: –0.97, 0.94), internalizing (β = 0.10, 95% CI: –0.42, 0.61), externalizing (β = –0.11, 95% CI: –0.75, 0.53), nor ADHD symptoms (β = 0.23, 95% CI: –0.26, 0.72) at 6 years. No associations were found for placental malaria, infection timing nor infection frequency after adjustment. Conclusion In this cohort, in which all women received IPTp, we found no evidence of an association between MiP and children’s socio-emotional difficulties or ADHD symptoms at 6 years. Small effects cannot be excluded. Future studies should assess earlier stages to identify transient effects and potential protective factors (e.g. home environment and schooling).
Related
- Association of healthy sleep patterns with incident cervical disc disorders: a prospective study
- Maternal Anxiety During Pregnancy and Offspring Information Processing Across Development: A Theory-Guided Predictive-Processing Reappraisal of Two Longitudinal Cohorts
- Associations Between Teenage Motherhood, Perinatal Cortical Maturation, and Risk of Psychopathology in Children: The Mediating Role of Pregnancy Complications
- Association between H19 polymorphisms and susceptibility to pediatric central nervous system tumors in Chinese children
- Multiple maternal occupational exposures during pregnancy and newborn size at birth: analysis of the ELFE cohort, a French longitudinal study of children
BibTeX
@article{barry2026association,
title = {{Association between malaria in pregnancy and children’s socio-emotional development at 6 years of Age in Benin: A prospective mother–child cohort}},
author = {Katharine Barry and Michael Boivin and Romeo Zoumenou and Christophe Fermanian and Achille Massougbodji and Florence Bodeau-Livinec},
journal = {International Journal of Infectious Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109197},
url = {https://ehesp.hal.science/hal-05840695v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association between malaria in pregnancy and children’s socio-emotional development at 6 years of Age in Benin: A prospective mother–child cohort
AU - Katharine Barry
AU - Michael Boivin
AU - Romeo Zoumenou
AU - Christophe Fermanian
AU - Achille Massougbodji
AU - Florence Bodeau-Livinec
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109197
UR - https://ehesp.hal.science/hal-05840695v1
AB - Background In 2023, 12.7 million women were exposed to malaria during pregnancy (MiP), mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. MiP is linked to adverse birth outcomes and cognitive deficits in children, but its association with socio-emotional development remains unclear. This study examines associations between MiP—at any time, specific time points, and by infection frequency—and children’s socio-emotional development at 6 years. Methods and Findings Data derive from the MiPPAD clinical trial, the nested APEC study, and the EXPLORE follow-up at 6 years. Assessments were conducted in three health centers in the Allada district of Benin. MiPPAD enrollment occurred between 2010 and 2012. A total of 477 mother–child dyads had data on MiP and socio-emotional outcomes, and 451 on ADHD symptoms. Unadjusted and multivariate linear regressions examined associations between MiP and children’s outcomes, adjusting for maternal and household characteristics. Overall, 53% of women had at least one episode of MiP or at birth. After adjustment, MiP was not significantly associated with children’s total SDQ difficulties (β = –0.01, 95% CI: –0.97, 0.94), internalizing (β = 0.10, 95% CI: –0.42, 0.61), externalizing (β = –0.11, 95% CI: –0.75, 0.53), nor ADHD symptoms (β = 0.23, 95% CI: –0.26, 0.72) at 6 years. No associations were found for placental malaria, infection timing nor infection frequency after adjustment. Conclusion In this cohort, in which all women received IPTp, we found no evidence of an association between MiP and children’s socio-emotional difficulties or ADHD symptoms at 6 years. Small effects cannot be excluded. Future studies should assess earlier stages to identify transient effects and potential protective factors (e.g. home environment and schooling).
SN - 1201-9712
SN - 1878-3511
ER -