Treatment of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria in pregnancy: 1991-2001
SMRU has been conducting community based operational research since 1986 on the western border of Thailand in camps for refugees of the Karen ethic minority. This is an area of low transmission (approximately 1 infectious bite/year) and malaria affects all age groups with pregnant women and young children being most risk from sever malaria. Treatment of malaria in pregnancy is limited by a paucity of drugs that are safe and effective in pregnant women. Mefloquine is now no longer deployed in pregnancy because of high-grade resistance and because is associated with the risk of stillbirth in the study area. The artemisinins were first introduced in 1992 for pregnant women with multiple recrudescent infections and now more than 500 episodes of malaria in pregnancy have been treated. For treatment of severe and uncomplicated hyperparasitaemia these drug are more efficacious, better tolerated, more easy to administer and safer than IV quinine. In randomized controlled trials in pregnant women the efficacy of artesunate given as primary treatment approacher 100%. Artemisinins have the added advantage of reducing gametocyte carriage, which can have an impact on overall transmission rates. Rates of abortion, stillbirth and congenital abnormalities with artemisinin base treatments, including 42 exposures in the 1st trimester are not higher than community rates. Children exposed in-utero to artemisinins and followed up at one year of life were developmentally normal.