Are non-malarial fevers in pregnancy significant causes of under recognised maternal mortality and morbidity and low birth weight in Laos? (360G-Wellcome-092804_Z_10_Z)

Laos had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Asia at 405/100,000 live births with slow progress in reducing maternal mortality rate. Although obstetric problems are clearly important, the abundance and diversity of infectious diseases in Laos suggests that these may also contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity and poor birth outcomes. That this may be so is suggested by a research project on the aetiology and impact of fever during pregnancy in Vientiane, Laos, for which Dr Vilada Chansamouth is the PI. This has suggested that dengue fever, scrub typhus and murine typhus are key causes of febrile illness during pregnancy and have adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, Vientiane, being the main urban centre in Laos, is atypical of the country and we propose to determine the incidence of fever in pregnant women in a poor rural southern province (Salavan) in a cohort study of 1,800 pregnant women and to determine the causes and impact of non-malarial fevers amongst these women and their newborns. These are the key goals.