Congenital Syphilis: Injury Panorama at a Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Establish the profile of women with syphilis in pregnancy as well as aspects of prenatal care, and the incidence and prevalence of congenital syphilis in that specific population. Documental study at a teaching maternity in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The population consisted of 787 women with syphilis diagnosed at the childbirth or curettage in the period from 2007 to 2012. The prevalence rate in pregnant women was 2.7%. In relation to health care of pregnant women, 57.82% had prenatal care. However, most (59.47%) of the diagnosis of maternal syphilis was held at childbirth or curettage and only 9.89% had proper treatment in the follow-up. Regarding the management of newborns, the data show that the majority (62.20%) had signs and symptoms of congenital syphilis; among them, 93.30% had proper treatment, although 66.85% did not undergo X-Ray (XR) of long bones. Reducing the cases of congenital syphilis depends on the quality of the prenatal care provided to those women, through training and professional involvement to fulfill the recommendations of health policies for combating syphilis.