Evaluation of Bone Marrow Response in Different Degrees of Malaria Parasitemia in Children

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant public health concern, particularly in endemic regions, where it poses a severe risk to children and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Hence, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the haematological parameters and reticulocyte counts in children in fifty (50) children aged 5 to 12 years with various malaria parasitemia attending a tertiary teaching hospital at Elele, Rivers State, Nigeria using appropriate standard techniques. The study revealed a significant increase in mean reticulocyte counts in the test group (3.1 ± 1.12%) compared to the control group (2.0 ± 0.82%), indicating a robust bone marrow response to malaria infection. Results also provide evidence that malaria parasitemia is closely linked to changes in the TWBC and showed significant differences in other haematological parameters, with p-values < 0.05 for reticulocyte counts and other key metrics, suggesting a strong correlation between malaria parasitemia and bone marrow activity. The results of this study show how important the bone marrow is in fighting malaria infections in children. The big rise in reticulocyte counts shows how the body tries to cope with anaemia caused by malaria.