"This information on malaria pills and pregnancy is so much easier to read than those medical sites.
Thanks for the information on all of your pages!"
Malaria pills and pregnancy don't always mix.
If you're a traveler, there are some things you should know... It might make a difference when you are planning where to go on your vacation.
Talk to your doctor, read all the precautions...
...and decide how important that trip is.
You don't want to get the disease anytime, but
especially not when you're pregnant.
Malaria infection when women are pregnant can be more severe.
Getting malaria can increase problems such
as premature births or worst of all, sometimes spontaneous abortion or
stillbirth.
So if you're pregnant or if you're likely to become pregnant on your trip, take the pills and use all measures you can to avoid mosquito bites... like mosquito netting....
None of the anti-malarial pills can prevent malaria one-hundred percent of the time....
...so the very best advice is to avoid travel to areas where malaria transmission is possible when you are pregnant... save the high risk areas for later.
Again ... Try to find a malaria free destination or postpone your trip. If you must travel to an area where malaria is present, take the pills.... but... remember, some malaria pills and pregnancy don't mix.
You have fewer choices for malaria pills and pregnancy. What that means is that there are fewer malaria pills you can take when you're pregnant. Of the major types of anti-malarial pills currently in use, only half are recommended for pregnant women.
These are the ones that are recommended:
Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone™) is NOT currently recommended for women during pregnancy. This is one of the more commonly prescribed malaria pills as of this date, but there have not been enough studies to prove that it is safe to use when you are pregnant, so you don't want to take the risk.
Doxycycline is definitely NOT recommended because it is related to the antibiotic tetracycline. We know Tetracycline causes discoloration and malformed teeth in babies, and it may inhibit bone growth too.
Primaquine has never been prescribed for us. I don't think it's too commonly prescribed, but it should NOT be used during pregnancy because it can be passed through the placenta to the infant. There is a condition called G6PD Deficiency. It is an inherited condition where the person or fetus lacks a certain enzyme... Most people with G6PD Deficiency don't have any symptoms, but if your baby is exposed to Primaquine (and some other drugs) it can cause hemolytic anemia in the baby before birth... and that could even be fatal.
If you travel to a malaria area when you are pregnant, follow all the safety measure for mosquito avoidance.... avoid the bites!
We always want you to remember that we are not medical professionals. We're just trying to interpret what they say for you.... to make it easier to understand your risks.
The bottom line is... from what we can tell... if you are a pregnant traveler who can choose when and where to travel... go someplace without malaria risks or go later and be safe. That way you won't have to worry about malaria pills and pregnancy.
Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it! Judy and Mark
Curious about what else we've written about? Search our site for a destination or travel tip.
But... We'd love to have you share this page or comment on it…
Thanks, Judy and Mark
Return to Malaria
Go from Malaria Pills and Pregnancy to MouseToursTravels Home Page
The New Year is here...
What are your resolutions? To lose weight? To Exercise more?
Why not a FUN resolution!
Resolve to TRAVEL!
It's a good time to plan your travels...
We have lists to help....
Custom Tour Planning List
Destination stories....
Europe Travel Tips
Africa Dream List
See America
Travel Planning
International Travel Planning Tips
Guidebooks can help you plan
Don't Forget Valentine's Day
Romantic Weekends
What About Your Passport?
Time to get one... or renew...
Answers about Passports and Visas
Dreaming of Warm Weather or Snow?
Packing for a Tropical Vacation
Cold Weather Packing List
…Or just make a resolution to explore more pages here and get ideas for travel destinations and how to get there.
NOW is the time to start planning for a great trip this year.
Search MouseToursTravels
Travel questions or destination info?
Find our answers faster...
We want you to feel comfortable out in the world and on our pages - so surf away in your own language...
On our 2018 travels, we tried group tours. Always independent travelers, we discovered that for some areas, tours are best… and group tours can be fun if you choose the right one.
We called this a blitz through the Balkans because we tour through 8 Balkan countries in only three weeks. Definitely highlights only… but great fun.
Just what is the Caucasus? It’s the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and home to the Caucasus Mountains. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Explore it here.
Related Pages
on
Travel Health Tips
Preparation and Prevention
International Travel Health Tips
Travel Health Vaccinations
Do You Need Malaria Pills?
Malaria Pills and Pregnancy
Disease Outbreak! Should You Still Go?
Traveling With Medication
Packing Medications
Pack Enough Medication
Traveling With Pills
Put Medication In Carry-on Luggage
Jet Lag
Fatigue After Flights
What Is Jet Lag?
How to Deal With Jet Lag
Health On The Road
Is the Water Safe?
Bottled Water
Help for Travel Motion Sickness
Start Healthy and Stay That Way
Pepto-Bismol for Prevention
Pepto-Bismol for Travel Health
Pepto-Bismol in Bhutan
Pepto-Bismol in China
And Just For Fun
Like Our Site Top Left
Like Our Fanpage Below
Thank You!
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Did it help with your travel planning and preparation? Eager to leave on that next vacation? Please leave your tips or comments in the box below.