ARTEMISININ DERIVATIVES IN THE TREATMENT OF FALCIPARUM-MALARIA IN PREGNANCY

An artemisinin derivative (artesunate or artemether) was used for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 83 K aren pregnant women in Thailand; 55 women were treated for recrudescen t infection following quinine or mefloquine, 12 for uncomplicated hype rparasitaemic episodes, and 16 had not declared their pregnancy when t reated. The women were followed weekly until delivery. Artesunate and artemether were well tolerated and there was no drug-related adverse e ffect. Recrudescence within 42 d occurred in 16% of the treated episod es. Overall 73 pregnancies (88%) resulted in live births, 3 (4%) in ab ortions and 2 (3%) in still births, and 5 women were lost to follow-up before delivery. There was no congenital abnormality in any of the ne wborn children, and the 46 children followed for more than one year al l developed normally.