Malaria complicating pregnancy: Report of two cases and review of management

Diseases considered rare in the United States are now being seen with increasing frequency in urban area hospitals as a result of increased travel between continents. Obstetrician/Gynecologists, in their role as primary care providers, should be conversant with medical and surgical illnesses seen in their patients. Malaria complicating pregnancy is a serious illness when it occurs in a nonimmune individual. Delay in diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment can result in significant maternal and fetal morbidity. A working knowledge of antimalarial drugs and safety of their use in pregnancy is essential for providing optimal treatment and for advising prophylactic measures to pregnant women considering foreign travel. This article describes two cases of falciparum malaria complicating pregnancy seen in a teaching hospital in New York City and reviews the salient features of malaria relevant to pregnancy.