Malaria Increases Miscarriage Risk 3 Times

News Health Articles - Malaria Increases Miscarriage Risk 3 Times. Pregnant women should be careful with malaria. This deadly disease has long been known to cause premature birth and low birth weight. But recent research suggests that malaria increases the risk of miscarriage for pregnant women tripled.

Researchers at Shoklo Malaria Research Unit found that a single episode of malaria in the first trimester of pregnancy associated with an increased risk of miscarriage is three-fold. This risk is not related to the treatment of malaria, because researchers found that women who were treated with anti-malarial drugs do not experience serious side effects or increase the chances of miscarriage.



According to estimates, there are 125 million pregnancies at risk of malaria each year. During pregnancy, malaria can cause severe anemia and parasitic infection in the fetus and increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, and maternal mortality.

Until now, scientists knew little about the effects of malaria in early pregnancy or the benefits and dangers of anti-malarial drugs during the early stages of pregnancy. Malaria treatment is not recommended during the first trimester of pregnancy because it proved the potential to cause birth defects or miscarriage.

"Malaria parasite, plasmodium vivax and falciparum good, contributing significantly to fetal and infant mortality. These results suggest that the harmful effects of malaria in the first trimester of pregnancy is greater than the effect of treatment. We emphasize the importance of early detection of malaria as well as effective treatment for all women pregnant with immediately, "said the researcher, Rose McGready of Shoklo Malaria Research Unit in Thailand.

McGready and his team have done peneltian in Shoklo Malaria Research Unit in May 1986 to October 2010. The scientists compared the results of 16 668 women who had not had malaria during pregnancy in 945 women who had only one episode of malaria in the first trimester, which is less than 14 weeks of pregnancy.

MedicalNewsToday.com study reported on Monday (02/01/2011) found that asymptomatic malaria or who showed no obvious symptoms associated with the risk of miscarriage was three times higher compared with those not experiencing malaria. In fact, the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women with malaria symptoms tended to four times greater. This risk is the same among women with vivax and falciparum malaria.

The researchers also found that the probability of miscarriage in women who received malaria drug during the first trimester remains the same, namely with the drug chloroquine by 26 percent, with 27 percent quinine, and artesunate 31 percent.