Malaria In Toddlers – Causes, Symptoms & Treatments You Should Be Aware Of

Does your toddler suffer from prolonged fever? Does he have the chills as well? Has your doctor diagnosed her with malaria? If you can relate to any of these situations, you should consider reading our post below. Here we look at Malaria in toddlers.

What Is Malaria?

Malaria is an infection that spreads through the female Anopheles mosquito. When the mosquito bites an ill person and then in turn bites a healthy person, the infection transfers to the healthy person, and leads to malaria. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease. The infection induces high temperature, chills, and flu-like symptoms in toddlers. If you don’t treat the disease within the time, it can be life-threatening (1).

[ Read: Viral And Bacterial Infections In Toddlers ]

Causes Of Malaria In Toddlers:

A specific type of microscopic parasite induces the disease of Malaria in toddlers. The harmful parasite spreads from one kid to another by the female Anopheles mosquitoes.

The transmission cycle of malaria includes:

• When the uninfected mosquito bites a malaria-infected person, the mosquito gets infected instantly.

• When this infected mosquito bites another person, the malaria parasite is transmitted to his body.

• The parasites enter the liver and can be dormant for several years.

• When the harmful parasites mature, they leave the liver and deliberately enter the bloodstream.

• As soon as the infection enters the bloodstream, the person experiences the symptoms of malaria.

• The transmission cycle of the malaria-borne disease continues and spreads from one person to the other (2).

[ Read: Tips To Treat Mosquito Bites In Toddlers ]

Symptoms Of Malaria In Toddlers:

Some of the common malaria symptoms in toddlers, include:

• High fever with shivering

• Poor appetite

• Vomiting

• Headaches

• Stomach Pain

• Rapid Breathing

• Irritability

• Extreme sweating

• Nausea

• Sleeplessness

• Coughing

• Weakness (3)

[ Read: Symptoms Of Loss Of Appetite In Toddlers ]

Diagnosing Malaria In Toddlers:

• If the toddler suffers from flu-like symptoms, the doctor may prescribe a blood smear test. The blood smear detects the presence of these parasites.

• If the diagnosis of malaria is positive, the doctor may prescribe to take a liver function test, which checks whether the liver is healthy or not.

• The Complete blood count (CBC) test is checks whether the parasite has damaged the red blood cells. If the blood cells are severely damaged, it leads to Acute Anemia.

• A blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in the blood (4).

Treating Malaria In Toddlers:

There are many antimalarial medications that help cure malaria in toddlers. Treating Malaria is one part medication, one part healthy diet.

[ Read: Symptoms Of Chicken Pox In Toddlers ]

Preventing Malaria In Toddlers:

You can prevent the onset of Malaria. Follow these simple steps to do so.

• Make your toddler wear covered and full sleeves clothes. Covered and light-colored clothes prevent the mosquito from biting your little angel.

• If you are staying in a temperate region, make your toddler sit or sleep in air-conditioned or cooler areas of your house. Mosquitoes cannot thrive in cold temperatures, which minimize the risks of mosquito bites.

• Apply mosquito repellents or citronella oil-based creams to your kid’s exposed skin region. It will keep away the mosquitoes.

• While mopping your floor, put few drops of citronella oil in the water. The fragrance of the oil keeps away flies and mosquitoes.

• Make her sleep in mosquito nets, during both day and night times.

• If your house has nearby open drains or water logging holes, install mosquito meshes on the doors and windows.

• When you are taking her take him to a clean place free from tree bushes and hedges. These areas of the park are full of mosquitoes (5).

With such effective precautionary measures, parents can easily safeguard their toddler from the life-threatening disease of Malaria.

Did your toddler suffer from Malaria? What treatment did you follow? Tell us your story below.

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