Q: I am 12-14 weeks pregnant and may be suspected of having malaria. Is it safe to consume quinolinone drugs during pregnancy?. Please advise. Please mention the name of drugs used in malaria which are safe during pregnancy?

A:Malaria is a major risk to pregnancy. The high fever, chills and rigours that occur with malaria frequently cause premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Experience with the recommended anti-malarial drugs indicate that they are safe to take while pregnant; safer for you and your pregnancy than getting malaria. Usually, either chloroquine or mefloquine is prescribed for treatment. Experience with chloroquine, and limited experience with mefloquine, indicates that they are safe to take during pregnancy, including the first trimester. Pregnant women should never take the following antimalarial drugs: atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or primaquine. These drugs are either not safe to take during pregnancy, or there is insufficient information currently to evaluate their safety.