Malaria Symptoms in an Infant

Malaria is a mosquito-borne illness common in warm, tropical climates, but it is extremely rare in other parts of the world. A baby becomes infected with malaria when he is bitten by an infected mosquito and parasites enter the bloodstream. Malaria can be prevented by taking anti-malarial drugs before and during travels to places where malaria is a concern. Not all anti-malarial drugs are safe for babies and young children, however.

Behavior Changes

• Infants with malaria might be crabbier or more irritable than usual, and sleepier as well. Some babies also might suddenly have a decrease in appetite or seem less interested in eating.

Fever

• As with adults, a fever is commonly one of the first noticeable signs of malaria. In some cases, the fever will rise gradually in the course of a day or two, but in some infants, the fever may come on quickly and spike as high as 105 degrees.

Flu-like Symptoms

• Besides a fever, other common flu-like symptoms are shared by malaria. Sweating or chills, headaches and muscle aches are all typically experienced by people with malaria. In babies, some of those symptoms, such as headaches, might not be noticeable except through being crankier than usual.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms

• In some cases, babies with malaria will experience nausea and vomiting, but it will not occur in all cases. In babies with nausea and vomiting, diarrhea is also commonly experienced as a symptom.

Neurological Symptoms

• With severe malaria caused by the P. falciparum parasite, the central nervous system is more severely affected by the infection. Some babies will experience seizures and convulsions, and some may lose consciousness. Kidney damage and failure can also result in severe malaria cases.