Characteristics and Neonatal Outcomes of Teenage Pregnant Women Diagnosed with Syphilis at Siriraj Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the characteristics of teenage pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Medical records of teenage pregnant women who were diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy and delivered at Siriraj Hospital and their newborn babies from 2011 to 2016 were reviewed. Demographic data and clinical factors were retrieved. Neonatal outcomes including gestational age at birth, birth weight, and diagnosis of congenital syphilis were recorded. STATA version 12.0 was used to analyze the data and p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: During 2011-2016, there were 28 eligible women. The mean age was 17.6±1.2 years. Seventy-five percent of them were unemployed and one-fourth had been educated less than or up to primary school level. The median number of partners was 4 and their sexual debut started from the age of 15.3±0.9. A quarter also had other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Congenital syphilis was diagnosed in 12 newborns (12/28, 42.8%). The mothers of the newborns with congenital syphilis were more likely to be unemployed, had first antenatal care (ANC) after 20 weeks of gestation, had <4 ANC visits, had high initial non-treponemal titer and poor treatment of syphilis before deliveries (p<0.05 for all). Preterm birth and very low birth weight were significantly more common in newborns with congenital syphilis. Conclusion: Some socio-economic factors are associated with the risk of syphilis infection. Almost half of the teenage pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis delivered babies with congenital syphilis. Inadequate antenatal care and poor treatment of maternal syphilis are the predictive factors of congenital syphilis.

Keywords

• Teenage pregnancy;
• pregnancy outcomes;
• syphilis
• (Siriraj Med J 2018;70: 298-301)