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UK Wedding News

14/11/2014

Pregnant Women Receive Malaria Warning

New advice has been issued, warning pregnant women that they should visit places where there is a risk of malaria only if their trip is essential.

In a statement, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said that expectant mothers are more likely to catch malaria as their immunity level is lower.

It added that the disease carries serious risks for the mother and her child, including miscarriage, premature labour and stillbirth.

Each year in the UK, there are around 1,500 cases of malaria reported, with around 10 people dying from the disease. The RCOG has stressed that there has been no malaria-related deaths in pregnant, or recently pregnant, women in the UK in the last decade.

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Malaria is an infection caused by a parasite called plasmodium. The parasite lives in mosquitoes, and if a person is bitten by a mosquito that carries the parasite, they can become infected with the disease. Symptoms of malaria include a high temperature or flu-like symptoms such as headaches and muscle pains. A person might also develop a cough or feel more tired than usual, feel nauseous or have diarrhoea.

As a woman's immunity levels decrease when they are pregnant, they are advised that non-essential trips to places where a risk of the disease is high should be avoided. However, if the trip is not avoidable, the RCOG has said women should seek advice on how to limit the risk of infection.

Cath Broderick, of the RCOG women's network said: "If women are worried about symptoms after returning from a high-risk country and think they may have malaria, they should see a doctor immediately and inform them of their recent travels."

(JP/CD)

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"New advice has been issued, warning pregnant women that they should visit places where there is a risk of malaria only if their trip is essential."