A NEW cohort study finds children born preterm face increased risk of malaria infection during early childhood, even when mothers had no malaria during pregnancy. Malaria Vaccine Insights from Preterm Birth RisksPregnancy malaria (PM) has long been linked to adverse birth outcomes, including preterm delivery (PTD) and low birthweight, which in turn elevate infant susceptibility to malaria. Researchers in Mali enrolled 1,679 mother-child pairs to investigate whether PTD independently modifies malaria risk in early childhood. Preterm Children Face Higher Malaria IncidenceResults showed that preterm children had a 1.76-fold higher hazard of first malaria infection in multigravid pregnancies and up to 3.63-fold higher risk in certain uninfected maternal subgroups. Overall, the study emphasises that preterm birth amplifies malaria risk in early childhood, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.