Summary

In this study session, you have learned that:

1. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is spread by mosquitoes.
2. A pregnant woman with malaria is more likely to have anaemia, miscarriage, early birth, small baby, stillbirth (baby born dead), or to die herself.
3. It is important for pregnant women to avoid getting malaria — for example by using insecticide-treated bed nets — and to be treated quickly if they get sick.
4. Malaria medicines may be costly and can have side-effects, but these medicines are much safer than actually getting sick with malaria, particularly during pregnancy. A usual anti-malaria medicine is Coartem.
5. Iron helps the blood carry oxygen from the air we breathe to all parts of the body. Too little iron in a pregnant woman's diet means she will be short of breath because she is anaemic.
6. Women with anaemia have less strength for childbirth and are more likely to bleed heavily, become ill after childbirth, or even die.
7. Eating a diet rich in iron and folate, and taking these essential nutrients in tablets every day during pregnancy, can prevent anaemia from developing, and treat mild cases of anaemia.
8. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, kidney tubes, bladder and urethra. UTIs are common during pregnancy and can be prevented by good hygiene.
9. Bladder and kidney infections can be dangerous for the mother and can also cause her to start labour too early if they are not treated right away. Drinking a lot of clean liquids is often sufficient to flush the bacteria out of the body.
10. Itching or burning while urinating is a common symptom of bladder infection; mild bladder infections can be treated with antibiotics.
11. Kidney infection is paricularly dangerous and the woman should be referred immediately if she has cloudy or bloody urine, fever, and pain in the lower back.