Placenta alkaline phosphatase is synthesized in the placenta synctiotroblast from the 12th week pregnancy and is probably involved in transplacenta immunoglobulin G (IgG) transport as well as nutrient transport from mother to foetus via cord blood. Pregnant women are highly prone to malaria from p. falciparum. Information on how P. falciparum in cord blood affects alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cord nutrients among pregnant women in our environment are poorly documented. This study therefore provides information on the influence of P. falciparum infected cord blood on alkaline phosphatase, nutrient levels and birth weight at term. Cord blood samples were collected from 50 cases of uncomplicated normal deliveries at term from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) after obtaining ethical clearance from the Health Research and Ethical committee at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The cord blood samples were prepared for the assay of ALP, glucose, cholesterol, total protein and albumin using standard colorimetric methods while the P. falciparum diagnosis was done using the Geisma stain technique. Results show that the P. falciparum infected cord blood had significantly higher (p<0.05) ALP (44.21±4.49U/L) activity when compared with the uni nfected cord blood samples (26.29 ± 11.54U/L). The uninfected cord blood sample had significantly increased (p<0.05) cord nutrients (glucose: 73.09±11.66 mg/dl, cholesterol: 91.44±18.30 mg/dl, total protein: 6.74± 0.92mg/dl and albumin: 4.23±0.43mg/dl) when compa red with the infected cord blood nutrients (glucose: 42.92±5 .59 mg/dl, cholesterol: 50.03±5.20 mg/dl, total pro tein: 5.25±0.40 mg/dl and albumin: 3.09±0.24 mg/dl). The ALP levels bear a negative correlation with birth weight (infected cord: 2.17±0.17 kg uninfected 3.59±0.69kg ) at term. Evidence from this study show low birth weight as well as low cord blood nutrients in newborn whose cord blood were infected with P. falciparum. The reduced level of cord nutrients in malarial infected cord blood maybe indicative of diversion of ALP to a defense rather than nutrient transfer, hence a compromise in the function of ALP in nutrient transfer from placenta to umbilical cord
