Figure 1: Conceptual framework to describe the progression from placental malaria to adverse infant neurodevelopment.

Risk factors are present at three distinct stages: 1) prior to the development of placental malaria; 2) during placental malaria infection; and 3) postnatally. These risk factors act directly, indirectly, and bidirectionally to culminate in an infant phenotype where we see evidence of neurological, cognitive, and behavioural deficits that impact this high-risk population from infancy, through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.