Malaria is more dangerous in pregnancy than at any other time in an adult life. It becomes severe faster, it drops the blood level faster, and it damages the baby even when the mother does not feel very ill. It is also one of the most preventable things in the whole pregnancy.
The three things that prevent it
- A treated net from the first month, every night.
- The preventive doses given at antenatal visits. They are taken under observation, from the second trimester, at every scheduled visit. Take every one, including when you feel well.
- Going to every antenatal visit. Most of what is done there is checking for exactly this.
Any fever in pregnancy is seen the same day
Not tomorrow, not after the weekend. Say at the facility that you are pregnant and how many months, before anything else.
Go immediately if
- A fit, confusion, or unusual sleepiness.
- Very pale palms, or breathlessness on small effort.
- Dark urine, or very little urine.
- Vomiting everything, or unable to drink.
- The baby has stopped moving.
What it does to the baby
The parasite collects in the placenta. That restricts the food and oxygen reaching the baby, which shows up as a low birth weight, an early delivery, or a stillbirth. A mother can carry this without feeling dramatically ill, which is exactly why the preventive doses are given to women who feel fine.
What not to do
- Do not take antimalarial tablets you have at home. Some are not safe in pregnancy and the choice depends on the trimester.
- Do not skip the preventive doses because you feel well. Feeling well is the normal state of the thing they prevent.
- Do not treat a fever at home and wait.
