Blood lead level in infants and subsequent risk of malaria: A prospective cohort study in Benin, Sub-Saharan Africa

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 7; p. e0220023
• Main Authors: Garrison, Amanda, Khoshnood, Babak, Courtin, David, Milet, Jacqueline, Garcia, André, Massougbodji, Achille, Ayotte, Pierre, Cot, Michel, Bodeau-Livinec, Florence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 18-07-2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Africa South of the Sahara - epidemiology; Age; Anemia; Benin - epidemiology; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood; Blood levels; Child health; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Clinical trials; Cohort analysis; Cross-sectional studies; Density; EDTA; Epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health; Health aspects; Health risks; Human health and pathology; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infants; Infections; Infectious diseases; Iron; Iron deficiency; Lead - blood; Lead content; Lead in the body; Lead poisoning; Life Sciences; Malaria; Malaria - blood; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - parasitology; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Multivariate analysis; Nutrient deficiency; Parasites; Pathogenesis; Patient outcomes; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Population; Pregnancy; Regression analysis; Regression models; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Rural areas; Studies; Toxicology; Vector-borne diseases; Africa South of the Sahara; Benin; Sub-Saharan Africa; France; Linear regression analysis; Benin; Malaria; Metallic lead; Children; Iron deficiency; Malarial parasites; Blood chemistry
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220023

Lead and malaria both present significant health risks to children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previous studies have shown that high blood lead levels in children act as a protective factor against subsequent malaria incidence. The main objective of this study was to investigate associations between blood lead level and malaria outcomes prospectively in Beninese children from 12 to 24 months of age. Two-hundred and four children were assessed for lead at 12 months and closely followed until 24 months for malaria; when symptoms and parasite density were also recorded. Univariate and multivariate negative binomial and linear regression models tested associations between blood lead level quartile and total episodes of malaria (total symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes) and parasite density, respectively. Median blood lead level among children measured at 12 months was 56.50 (4.81-578) μg/L. During the 12-month follow-up, 172 (84.31%) children had at least one malaria episode. Univariate and multivariate negative binomial and linear regressions did not reveal significant associations between blood lead level quartile and malaria outcomes. Iron deficiency was not found to be an effect modifier. Results from this prospective child-cohort study investigating associations between blood lead level and malaria did not confirm results from previous cross-sectional studies. Further research is needed to further explore this relationship and other co-morbidities due to malaria and lead.