Malaria in Pregnancy

Q - What is Malaria in pregnancy?

A - It occurs when a pregnant woman gets infected with malaria. In populations that regularly suffer from malaria, almost every woman will have at least one malaria attack when she's pregnant if she doesn't take the necessary steps to prevent it.

Q - What are the signs and symptoms?

A - The signs and symptoms of malaria in pregnancy are essentially the same as that seen in malaria even though they are sometimes more severe. But it is sometimes tricky to identify them because some symptoms like weakness and vomiting may occur in pregnancy even in the absence of malaria. Learn more about symptoms of malaria in pregnancy.

Q - What harm does malaria during pregnancy do to the baby?

A -

1. A non-immune mother can pass on the infection to her baby.
2. It can cause poor growth of the un-born baby in the womb.
3. Babies can be born before they are fully grown: premature babies.
4. In very severe cases, it can cause still birth: death of the baby in the womb.

Q - What are the dangers to the mother?

A -

1. The parasites can cause destruction of the red blood cells which will in turn cause anaemia.
2. Excessive vomiting could cause dehydration and metabolic derangements.
3. It can cause false labour, i.e. when the mother starts to feel contractions that don't lead to delivery.
4. The mother could develop some of the other complications of malaria like cerebral malaria, and renal complications.

Q - How can malaria be prevented in pregnancy?

A - Pregnant women in malaria endemic regions are given routine anti-malarial medications so that they don't develop the disease. This prophylactic treatment is usually given once a week and in doses that are sufficient to suppress the infection.

Other methods of preventing malaria infections are also employed for pregnant women too, these includes, using insecticide treated bed nets, reducing mosquito population and using insect repellent creams. Learn more about malaria prevention.

Q - How can malaria be treatedted in pregnancy?

A - If in spite of the prophylactic anti-malarial medications given, a mother develops full-blown malaria, she is then given a full-course of anti-malarial treatment. The treatment is with the same drugs that are normally used in other cases of malaria. However, the safeties of some drugs in pregnancy ( e.g. Artemisin derivatives)have not been full established. In addition, drugs like pyrimethamine/Sulphadoxine combinations are generally avoided in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Created - October, 2006
Last Updated - August, 2009