Malaria is chiefly a tropical disease complicating pregnancy. It may cause abortion, premature labor, intrauterine foetal death. There is a very rare possibility of congenital malaria in the newborn. It might be a cause for puerperal fever. The characteristic symptoms are fever with chill and rigor, headache, vomiting and signs are intermittent high temperature, anaemia, jaundice, enlarged spleen and liver. In severe forms, it may simulate eclampsia, produce cholera-like manifestations and coma. Blood film showing malarial parasite is diagnostic.
Treatment: Chloroquine salts four tablets (600 mg.) are the initial dose, two tablets are given six hours later followed by one tablet b.d. for another two days. Alternatively amodiaquine (camoquine) 3 tables (600 mg) initially is followed by one and half tablets six hours later; then one and half tablet daily for two days. These drugs are found to be harmless to the foetus. In resistant cases, quinine (600 mg.salt t.d.s. for five days) is the drug of choice as in antimalarial dosage this is not considered dangerous to the foetus. Pernicious malaria can be controlled by either chloroquine or quinine given parenterally. Chloroquine or amodiaquine 2 tablets each week form a good suppressive agent against malaria.
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