Table 1.

Enrolment characteristics of children in the two study groups

	Intervention group
Variable	Placebo (n = 638)	SP/AQ (n = 639)
Age (months) (mean, SE)	29.9 (16.5)	30.1 (17.3)
Sex (% male)	323 (51.4%)	309 (49.6%)
Sleep nightly under impregnated bed net	596 (93.3%)	596 (93.3%)
Ethnic group
Fula	241 (38.0%)	238 (38.0%)
Mandingo	73 (11.5%)	63 (10.1%)
Wollof	311 (49.0%)	316 (50.5%)
Other	20 (1.6%)	9 (1.4%)
Mean haemoglobin g/dl	10.2 (1.4)	10.1 (1.5)
Splenomegaly	16 (3.0%)	18 (3.4%)
Malaria parasitaemia	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)h