Imagine planning a dream holiday with your children, only for it to turn into a nightmare when a child falls seriously ill upon their return home. We often get asked if a child can take anti-malarial medication or if it’s safe for a child to visit a country with a high risk of malaria.
In 2020, there were 564 cases of malaria diagnosed in UK travellers upon their return from abroad, and 58 of those cases were children under the age of 10.1 In the post below, we will discuss the risk of malaria to children and how to prevent your child from contracting the disease.
Malaria is a serious illness spread through mosquito bites, and it can be especially dangerous for kids. As a parent, it’s important to avoid taking babies and young children to areas where malaria is common unless you take the necessary precautions. 2
Malaria symptoms in kids are similar to those in adults and may include:
– irritability and drowsiness
– poor appetite
– trouble sleeping
These early symptoms are followed by:
– chills, and then
– a fever that gradually rises over 1 to 2 days and can be accompanied by fast breathing
– The child’s temperature can drop quickly, causing intense sweating.
Booking in with our nurse specialist will help you learn more about Malaria.
Due to their immature immunity system, Children under the age of 5 years are at high risk of developing the more severe symptoms of Malaria.
Children are normally outside more than adults, and applying insect repellent to young children can be hard. DEET and Piricadin can both be used safely on children over the age of 2 months.3
When children visit friends and family, they’re at a higher risk of getting malaria, especially if they don’t take the right antimalarial medication for the places they’re visiting.2
If you’re planning to travel to an area with a high risk for malaria, it’s important to take precautions to stay safe:
– Make sure there are window screens installed.
– Always use insect repellent.
– Put mosquito netting over beds, especially insecticide-treated bed nets which have been proven to reduce malaria deaths among African children significantly. 4
– Wear long sleeves and long pants to cover your skin.
– Try to stay indoors during times when mosquitoes are most active, typically around sunrise and sunset.
Children can safely take anti-malarial medication. Parents need to ensure that their child takes it properly.
Two medications can be safely used by all children, Mefloquine and Malrone®, whilst children over the age of 12 can also be offered Doxycycline. The dosage of this medication is based on the child’s weight, so they will need to attend the clinic / GP practice to be weighed by the clinician dispensing the medication.
The challenging part will be ensuring your baby or young child takes the medication properly. Tablets can be crushed and added to soft foods such as yoghurt or jam.
For dosage reasons, it may be necessary to cut the tablets. A pill cutter, which can be found in many pharmacies, is the best tool for this task.
Once the decision is made to travel with children to a malarial area, the first task would be for you to book an appointment with a clinician to discuss the malaria risk for your child. Prevention and medication can then be discussed to ensure you understand the risks and the importance of ensuring your child takes the medication properly. Your child can stay safe on your trip with strict bite prevention and proper medication.
Malaria: 10 common questions we get asked about Malaria | Travel Jab Guru
How to Avoid Insect Bites | Travel Jab Guru
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