Malarone Pediatric Description

Malarone Pediatric is usually prescribed to prevent malaria in children 24-85 lbs. and to treat uncomplicated malaria in children 11-24 lbs. This malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum found in tropical and sub-tropical areas where there are Anopheles mosquitoes that can transmit the infection through their bite. The active ingredients of Malarone Pediatric are a combination of Atovaquone and Proguanil which has been successful in the prevention and treatment of P. falciparum malaria in areas where the infection is resistant to Chloroquine, another malarial drug.

What to Expect From Malarone Pediatric

Atovaquone interferes with the production of certain substances that are essential for the malarial parasites’ ability to reproduce. Proguanil targets the parasites once they have entered your bloodstream and blocks a particular enzyme found in the parasite called dihydrofolate reductase. This action eliminates an important step in how the parasites produce new DNA so they can reproduce. With the combination of these two medications, Malarone Pediatric can decrease the parasites’ population as well as prevent them from being able to grow and multiply in case you are bitten by an infected mosquito.

How Malaria is Transmitted

Malaria is only transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito that is generally found in the warmer regions near the equator. Mosquitoes do not actually ‘bite’ but they have a long tubular proboscis that they use to slice through your skin and then search for a blood vessel. Once found, one of the hollow tubes in their proboscis injects saliva into the wound while the other withdraws blood. If this mosquito is carrying the malaria parasites, it’s found in the saliva they inject you with. From your blood, the parasites travel to your liver and enter liver cells so they can grow and replicate. The parasites can stay here from seven days to several years before they leave. These cells then burst open and thousands of new parasites are released into your bloodstream where they will again reproduce.

Before Malarone Pediatric is Prescribed

Ask your doctor about the safety of taking Malarone Pediatric if your child has other health conditions and allergies. Discuss the medical history and provide a list of any other OTC and Rx medications the child is taking, including herbal remedies and vitamin supplements. This will allow your doctor to decide if Malarone Pediatric is the right medicine for your child.

Malarone Pediatric Precautions and Recommendations

There are no drugs that are 100% effective in the treatment or prevention of malaria so you can take extra steps to minimize the risk of being bitten by wearing protective clothing, placing mosquito netting around your bed, using insect repellants, and keeping windows and doors closed early in the morning and at dusk when the weather has cooled.

Possible Side Effects of Malarone Pediatric

• Upset or painful stomach
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

Drugs Similar to Malarone Pediatric

• Coartem
• Lariam
• Quinine Sulfate