Abstract Background: Malaria in pregnancy is an obstetric, social and medical problem of all over the world particularly in tropical and sub-tropical countries. There is a general opinion that pregnant women are more prone for malaria in a low transmission area. So this study aims to know the prevalence of malaria in febrile pregnant women in Gulbarga, north Karnataka, India. Objective: To determine the prevalence of malaria in febrile pregnant women and effects on maternal and fetal outcome. Materials and Method: Study Design: Cross sectional observation study. Source: Department of OBG, M.R. Medical College Hospital Gulbarga. Study subjects: 100 febrile pregnant women during the present pregnancy. Method: Subjects were tested for peripheral smear examination. Maternal and perinatal outcome correlated with malaria results. Results: The mean age of the studied subjects was 25.5± 2.3 years. Out of 100 patients 20 patients were malaria positive pregnant women, among them 45% were in first trimester, 25% in second trimester and 30% in 3^rd trimester. The mean hemoglobin was lower in malaria subjects. Maternal mortality and perinatal outcome were not significant, since few patients came for follow up. In study subjects Plasmodium vivax (P.Vivax) malaria was found to be more common. Conclusion: Prevalence of Malaria is a cause of fever in 20% of febrile illness during pregnancy among them P. vivax malaria is more common.

Keywords: Malaria, Anaemia, low birth weight, preterm labour, abortion, fever.