Revista de Saúde Pública (May 2021)

Factors associated with prematurity in reported cases of congenital syphilis

  • Maria Alix Leite Araújo,
  • Ana Beatriz Barbosa Esteves,
  • Ana Fátima Braga Rocha,
  • Geraldo Bezerra da Silva Junior,
  • Angelica Espinosa Miranda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2021055002400
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 55

Abstract

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ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors associated with prematurity in reported cases of congenital syphilis in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in ten public maternity hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A total of 478 reported cases of congenital syphilis were included in 2015, and data were collected from notification forms, from mothers’ and babies’ medical records and from prenatal cards. For the bivariate analysis, Pearson’s chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used, considering p 1:8 at delivery (OR 2.46; 95%CI: 1.33–4.53; p = 0.004) and the non-treatment of the pregnant women or treatment with drugs other than penicillin during prenatal care (OR 3.52; 95%CI: 1.74–7.13; p< 0.001) were associated with higher chances of prematurity. CONCLUSION: The prematurity due to congenital syphilis is a preventable condition, provided that pregnant women with syphilis are treated appropriately. Weaknesses in prenatal care are associated with this outcome, which highlights the importance of public policies oriented to improve the quality of prenatal care.

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