Can my 14 day old daughter have malaria?

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QUESTION

My 14 day old daughter has a body temperature of about 38.3 C and breathes a bit rapidly.  Can it be a sign of malaria?

ANSWER

In newborns, it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what is wrong.   The majority of newborns who get sick after delivery,  get an infection (from bacteria, not malaria).  WHO and UNICEF have identified the following “danger signs.” If the baby has  one or more of the following signs, take the baby to a hospital with qualified personnel and drugs immediately. Once there, the staff can treat the baby and test for malaria if indicated.

 

  1. Not feeding since birth or stopped feeding
  2. Convulsions
  3. Respiratory rate of 60 or more
  4. Severe chest indrawing
  5. Temperature ≥ 37.5 C
  6. Temperature ≤ 35.5 C
  7. Only moves when stimulated, or not even when stimulated

or        Yellow soles (sign of jaundice)

Signs of local infection:

  1. Umbilicus red or draining pus, skin boils, or eyes draining pus

All newborns, infants and young children in malarial areas  need to be protected from malaria and should sleep under an long acting, insecticide treated bed net.