Abstract
In a 30-year-old Dutch woman living in Uganda who was pregnant for the first time, malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) was diagnosed. She had proguanil and chloroquine as prophylaxis. During labour intrauterine foetal death was established. Postmortem examination showed signs of asphyxia and uteroplacental circulatory disturbances. The woman returned to Uganda, became pregnant again and delivered a healthy boy. General practitioners and gynecologists in Western countries should be aware of malaria tropica in a pregnant patient. Very serious maternal and foetal complications can occur in non-immune patients. There are different prophylactic and therapeutic options in pregnancy, but several drugs are toxic to the foetus and of several others the toxicity is not known yet. Non-immune pregnant women should not travel to malaria-infested areas, because of insecure chemoprophylaxis and the dangerous complications of malaria in pregnancy.
| Translated title of the contribution | Severe falciparum malaria during pregnancy: A threat to mother and child |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 382-385 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde |
| Volume | 144 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - 19 Feb 2000 |
Keywords
- Econometric and Statistical Methods: General
- Geneeskunde (GENK)
- Geneeskunde(GENK)
- Algemeen onderzoek
- Pathology