Testing Pregnant Mothers Prevents Congenital Syphilis

Testing should occur at the first prenatal visit and in communities where the risk is high; it should be repeated during the third trimester and once more at delivery. Mothers who are diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy can be treated to prevent syphilis infection of the baby.

Syphilis is caused by the sexually transmitted bacteria known as Treponema pallidum. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be transmitted to infants during pregnancy.

A study of 41,000 women, published in the early online edition of the Lancet Infectious Diseases on June 16, 2011 showed that testing and antibiotics could more than halve the number of deaths of babies whose mothers were suffering from syphilis. The UK experts said screening was cheap and cost-effective.

The study was lead by Dr. S. Hawkes PhD, reader in global health, UCL Institute for Global Health and Center for International Health and Development, University College London (United Kingdom).

Congenital syphilis in infants can result in stillbirth, premature delivery, low birth weight, and significant birth defects (bone, blood, brain, heart). Syphilis causes 500,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths globally, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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