Congenital malaria in newborn twins

Malaria during first few months of life may be due to transplacental transfer of parasitized maternal erythrocytes. The most common clinical features of congenital malaria are fever, anaemia and splenomegaly. Other signs and symptoms include hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, regurgitation, loose stools, and poor feeding. A 28 year old woman (G2P1A), with 36 weeks gestation, reported to a health facility in Sunyani on 22nd February 2009 with history of labour pains, without fever. According to the mother, even though she did not sleep in insecticide treated bed net during her pregnancy, she took all the recommended drugs of sulfadoxine/ pyrimethamine- intermittent preventive treatment for malaria. She delivered twins on the same day. The mother and the twins developed fever on the same day. A laboratory investigation on the three of them was positive for malaria parasites. The three were successfully treated with quinine. Congenital malaria is real and it is therefore recommended that babies born to mothers with malaria should be screened for congenital malaria.