Publisher's Synopsis
Malaria in pregnancy has been a longstanding conundrum - why do women, immune to the parasite after years of exposure suddenly become susceptible to infection during first pregnancies? Scientific breakthroughs have shed light on interactions between the malaria parasite and the placenta, and raised hope for new drugs and vaccines to protect young mothers. Maternal malaria may be the first parasitic infection to be controlled with anti-adhesion drugs or vaccines. This text overviews decades of research in epidemiology, immunology and parasitology, drawing on scientific expertise from around the world.
