Diagnosis and management of congenital syphilis: Avoiding missed opportunities
Open accessAbstract
Congenital syphilis can result in pregnancy loss and substantial morbidity in newborns. The current epidemic of congenital syphilis in Canada (especially Western Canada) is a preventable public health emergency. Rates indicate a lack of control of syphilis within the community and insufficient public health resources to prevent spread that predate the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk factors include lack of prenatal care, methamphetamine and other substance use, and unstable housing. The cornerstone of prevention is identification, treatment, and follow-up during pregnancy, including of partners. Clinicians caring for newborns need to consider aspects of maternal treatment, reinfection risk, the results of paired maternal and infant syphilis serology, and infant clinical assessment. A complete risk assessment will guide effective management and follow-up of infants exposed in utero to syphilis.
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Initial symptoms of congenital syphilis might not appear until up to a month after birth.
“and that initial symptoms might not appear until up to a month later”
From Syphilis in pregnancy: A practical guide for prenatal care providers (2025) · cites this paper as [7]
Between 50% and 90% of infants with congenital syphilis are asymptomatic at birth.
“Considering that between 50% and 90% of infants are asymptomatic at birth”
From Syphilis in pregnancy: A practical guide for prenatal care providers (2025) · cites this paper as [7]
The true prevalence of congenital syphilis is likely much higher than currently estimated.
“the true prevalence is likely much higher than currently estimated. 7”
From Syphilis in pregnancy: A practical guide for prenatal care providers (2025) · cites this paper as [7]
The CANADIAN CONTEXT section reports rising recorded rates of congenital syphilis, and the RECOMMENDATIONS section describes circumstances in which an infection may be missed. Neither says that the true prevalence is likely much higher than current estimates. Searches for underreporting and underestimated prevalence found no such statement in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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Cites
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Syphilis in pregnancy: A practical guide for prenatal care providers
Desjardins, A. A., Amaral, E., Miranda, J., Pasupathy, D., Martins, M. L., Buga, E., Aronoff, D., Money, D., Boucoiran, I., & FIGO Committee on Infections During Pregnancy and FIGO Committee on Health Systems Strengthening (2025) · International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · doi:10.1002/ijgo.70511 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Fanella, S., Bitnun, A., Barton, M., & Sauvé, L.
- Affiliations
- Canadian Paediatric Society (CA)
- Canadian Paediatric Society, Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee , Ottawa, Ontario,
- Venue
- Paediatrics & Child Health
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2024-11
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 472-479
- ISSN
- 1205-7088 (ISSN-L)
- 1918-1485
- PMC
- PMC11638085
- OpenAlex
- W4405384498
- Semantic Scholar
- ec57d608a945b02db3d661c3036b6436a99bee6c
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2
- FWCI
- 4.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Paediatrics & Child Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Public Health Agency
- Association of Ontario Midwives
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Historical Medical Research and Treatments
- Keywords
- congenital syphilis, prenatal care, maternal syphilis treatment, partner screening, syphilis serology, reinfection risk, substance use, unstable housing, missed opportunities, newborn screening, public health emergencies, Canada
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