Will taking medications for malaria in my wife affect breastfeeding our child?

Question

Hello doctor,

My wife had C section last month. For the last five days, she has had a fever ranging between 99 to 102 degrees Farhenheit. She was given Dolo 650 thrice a day for the last three days. The fever goes down but returns within six to seven hours. Today an antigen test for dengue and malaria was done in which she was diagnosed with plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium malaria. What should be done? Her CBC report showed hemoglobin 10.5 gm/dL and platelets count was 115 x 10^3 per microliter of blood. Presently my locality is highly affected by dengue. A routine whole-body checkup was also done five days ago . Vitamin B12 was increased, and CRP was 7. I mg/dl. I am also uploading those reports. The LFT before delivery was relatively high, which got better now. Kindly suggest a treatment for malaria. Can she continue breastfeeding? Does malaria treatment medication affect breastfeeding?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern and will help you regarding it. I have seen the attached reports (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity). Mild elevations in SGOT (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase) and SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) can occur in malaria and during pregnancy. CRP (C-reactive protein) is raised due to inflammation. There is a mild iron deficiency for which oral supplements are already being taken. I suggest combining iron supplements with vitamin C 500 mg tablet for better absorption. For the treatment of malaria, first-line ACTs (artemisinin-based combination therapy) are safe during breastfeeding. A G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency test should be performed on your infant's blood before starting the mother's treatment to identify any G6PD deficiency, which can be risky while breastfeeding when the mother is on certain medications. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with them, and take medicines with their consent. I suggest you go to a specialist and start the treatment as soon as possible. I hope this helps you.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

The injection should be taken; however, if possible, the infant should be shifted to formula feed (NanPro Or Similac advance) if the current weight is less than 11 lbs. G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) testing is not required.

Thank you.