EpidEmiological analysis of congEnital syphilis in thE statE of cEará, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: congenital syphilis is a systemic infectious disease of chronic evolution caused by the Treponema pallidum bacterium dissemination to the fetus through the placenta of infected pregnant women untreated or treated improperly, occurring at any stage of pregnancy or clinical stage of the disease. Objective: epidemiological analysis of congenital syphilis in the State of Ceará from 2007 to 2010. Methods: documentary study conducted in March, 2013, through the database available at the Center for Information and Analysis in Health which keep the information about the National System of Notifiable Diseases records. There were 1,577 notifications of congenital syphilis cases. Results: the following results were observed: 71.78% (n = 1,132) of women who had their children diagnosed with congenital syphilis attented to prenatal consultation; 46.16% (n = 728) had a diagnosis of syphilis identified only during delivery/curettage; about 69.5% (n = 1,096) of pregnant women partners did not undergo any treatment for congenital syphilis. It was noted that over 90% of children were diagnosed with congenital syphilis until the sixth day of birth, and the most prevalent final classification was recent syphilis with 83.83% (n = 1,322) of cases. The most common clinical evolution for children had a favorable outcome, as more than 75% of them underwent treatment and remained alive during the studied period. Conclusion: the thorough analysis of congenital syphilis cases and the factors involved in the process are of fundamental importance to support the actions to prevent and control the disease.

Analysis of the Space and Time Distribution of Syphilis in Brazil: Cases of Acquired Syphilis From 2010-2018 and Congenital and Syphilis in Pregnant Women From 2001-2017

“…Interestingly, it was found that despite the predominance of prenatal care in 70+% of the CS cases investigated herein, signi cantly high numbers of cases of CS were nonetheless reported throughout the country. While prenatal care is becoming more commonplace in Brazil, this rate still remains below the recommendations established by the Ministry of Health, which advocate that prenatal care must be properly provided to all pregnant women [28]. It is known that the noti cation rate of syphilis is considered to be an important indicator of accessibility and prenatal care quality [23].…”

“…Nevertheless, actions designed to improve health care access for pregnant women have performed poorly in terms of CS prevention [21]. One of the main purposes of prenatal care is to assist women in a quali ed and humanized way beginning in the early stages of pregnancy, adopting early screening procedures coupled with timely interventions [28]. Early diagnosis and treatment of SiP, ideally before the 20 th week of pregnancy, can reduce CS-related cases, such as miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths [29].…”

Spatial analysis, temporal trend, and local risk of congenital syphilis new cases in Sergipe, Brazil

“…An epidemiological analysis on congenital syphilis was carried out by Catunda et al (2013) [25] in the state of Ceará (northeast of Brazil), from 2007 to 2010. Among 1132 women, 71.78%, of their children had congenital syphilis infection, underwent prenatal care and access to diagnostic tests, and occurred only during delivery or curettage.…”

“…Among 1132 women, 71.78%, of their children had congenital syphilis infection, underwent prenatal care and access to diagnostic tests, and occurred only during delivery or curettage. Most of its partners held no treatment and the children were diagnosed in the recent form of the disease, i.e., in the maternity [25].…”

Congenital syphilis: why is its prevalence still so high?

“…Em uma série histórica do Ceará de 2013 observou-se aumento do número de consultas de pré-natal ao longo do tempo, mas apenas 41,3% foram diagnosticadas ainda no pré-natal e 69,5% dos parceiros não receberam tratamento. Houve também aumento do número de casos durante a curetagem ou assistência ao recém-nascido em mais de 50% dos casos 16 .…”