Syphilis in pregnancy in Tanzania. II. The effectiveness of antenatal syphilis screening and single-dose benzathine penicillin treatment for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes

J Infect Dis. 2002 Oct 1;186(7):948-57. doi: 10.1086/342951. Epub 2002 Sep 3.

Abstract

Treatment for maternal syphilis with single-dose benzathine penicillin (2.4 million units intramuscularly) is being implemented in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. To examine the effectiveness of this regimen, a prospective cohort of 1688 pregnant women was recruited in Tanzania. Birth outcomes were compared among women treated for high-titer (n=133; rapid plasma reagin [RPR] titer > or = 1:8 and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay [TPHA]/fluorescent treponemal antibody [FTA] positive) and low-titer (n=249; RPR titer <1:8 and TPHA/FTA positive) active syphilis and 950 uninfected women. Stillbirth or low-birth-weight live births were observed in 2.3% and 6.3%, respectively, of women treated for high-titer active syphilis and in 2.5% and 9.2%, respectively, of seronegative women. There was no increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcome for women treated for high-titer active syphilis (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-1.4) or low-titer active syphilis (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.6-1.5), compared with seronegative women. Single-dose treatment is effective in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes attributable to maternal syphilis.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Odds Ratio
  • Penicillin G Benzathine / administration & dosage
  • Penicillin G Benzathine / therapeutic use*
  • Penicillins / administration & dosage
  • Penicillins / therapeutic use*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / microbiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / prevention & control*
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Prenatal Care*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Syphilis / complications
  • Syphilis / drug therapy*
  • Syphilis / epidemiology
  • Syphilis Serodiagnosis
  • Tanzania / epidemiology
  • Treponema pallidum*

Substances

  • Penicillins
  • Penicillin G Benzathine