Can my child take quinidine?

Yes, the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved quinidine to treat malaria in children, but has not approved it to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in this age group. So if your child has malaria and needs treatment, quinidine may be used. Often, the quinidine will be given as an intravenous (IV) medication at first. After several days, the doctor treating your child may decide to switch to quinidine that is taken by mouth. The extended-release quinidine tablet cannot be crushed or chewed, so if your child has difficulty taking pills, this form of quinidine is not a good choice.