Malaria in pregnancy

By Petra Mens
Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute

Malaria still claims many victims in the developing world. It is mainly known to affect children under 5 and the disease takes many young lives. However, there is an other important risk group for malaria: pregnant women. When pregnant women become infected with the malaria parasite they often do not have the typical clinical symptoms that make children so ill. But the disease remains a threat not only for the pregnant women, but also for the unborn child, as the parasites continue to perform their devastating work.

Many resources provide information about malaria in general and most have malaria in children or in travelers as a specific target group. This dossier focuses on the issues related to malaria in pregnancy. This group is often neglected in information resources and this dossier tries to bring information about this specific topic together in an understandable manner.

If you would like to make any comments on this dossier or suggest additional resources, please contact the editor, Ilse Egers.

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this dossier is only intended to be general summary information to the public. It is not intended to take the place of either professional health care providers or current medical advice and regulations.