Quinine for chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria in pregnant Sudanese women in the first trimester.

A prospective clinical study in eastern Sudan described the efficacy and toxicity of quinine in early pregnancy in mothers with chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria. Twenty-six pregnant Sudanese women in their first trimester (mean gestational age 8.5 weeks) were given quinine 10 mg/kg 3 times per day for 7 days and followed up every 2 weeks until delivery. One patient aborted (3.8%) and 2 patients (7.7%) experienced threatened abortion but delivered term babies. Recrudescence or re-infection was observed on day 21 in 1 patient. One baby died aged 6 months. There were no detectable congenital malformations, no auditory or visual defects or any other neurological deficits in the remaining infants at birth or 1 year later. Quinine may be safe in the first trimester of pregnancy.