NAN-H-1
Malaria
Enugu, Nov. 5, 2017 (NAN) A Gynecologist, Dr Osundu Agu, on Sunday, urged pregnant women to always sleep under Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets in addition to keeping their surroundings and drains clean to prevent malaria infection.
Osundu, who is the proprietor of a maternity hospital, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
He said that the presence of malaria parasites in the placenta of a pregnant woman could be life-threatening to both mother and the baby.
According to him, malaria in pregnant women contribute to maternal deaths beside causing abortion and low birth weight in babies.
He said pregnant women living in malaria endemic environments should take preventive measures rather than curative during pregnancy.
Osundu further advised pregnant women to avoid self-medication when they want to treat malaria, stressing that they should always go for laboratory test for effective diagnoses before treatment.
According to him, this will enable them to be sure of the type of disease for which they are receiving treatment for, as other diseases can have similar symptoms with malaria.
“Always try as much as possible to keep your homes, surroundings and drains clean and cover all water containers within the home,’’ he added. (NAN)
OJI/OSA/HA
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Edited by Shittu Obassa/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu