Are Women Who Are Expectant More Likely To Contract Malaria? Expert Opinion
Pregnant women are more vulnerable to contracting malaria because of immune system modifications and hormonal changes that increase their susceptibility to the malaria parasite. Pregnancy-related malaria may have detrimental effects on the mother and the fetus, such as anemia in the mother, low birth weight, early delivery, and even stillbirth.
Infections during pregnancy may potentially result in problems such as severe anemia and organ failure. Maternal mortality is another risk factor increased by malaria during pregnancy. In order to protect themselves and their unborn children from malaria infection, pregnant women who live in or visit malaria-endemic regions must take preventative measures, such as sleeping beneath bed nets sprayed with insecticide and wearing insect repellent.
Dr. Anusha Rao P, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Yashoda Hospitals in Hyderabad, discussed why pregnant women are more likely to have malaria in an interview with Jagran English.
Pregnant women are more likely to have malaria because of a number of physiological and immunological variables, according to Dr. Anusha. Because of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, women are more vulnerable to illnesses like malaria. Furthermore, the uterus’s growth may compress blood vessels, which lowers blood supply to certain organs, such as the spleen, which is essential for fending off malaria parasites. This reduced blood flow may make it more difficult for the spleen to eliminate infected red blood cells, which would enable the malaria parasite to spread unabated.
Anemia is a disorder that is often experienced by pregnant women, whereby their red blood cell count is low. Anemia makes it harder for the body to fight off infections and carry oxygen, which makes malaria more likely to strike.
Furthermore, the placenta, which grows during pregnancy to support the fetus, may serve as a breeding ground for malaria parasites. In addition to endangering the mother’s health, placental malaria raises the possibility of unfavorable consequences for the fetus, such as low birth weight and premature delivery. Pregnant women are more likely to get malaria than other populations, especially in areas where the illness is common. Socioeconomic variables that contribute to this increased prevalence include insufficient housing, restricted access to healthcare, and a shortage of insecticide-treated bed nets.
Finally, Dr. Anusha stated that pregnant women in malaria-endemic areas are frequently advised to take preventive measures, such as sleeping under bed nets treated with insecticide, taking antimalarial medications, and seeking prompt medical attention for fevers or other symptoms suggestive of malaria, in order to mitigate these risks.
