Characterization and six-month follow-up on a cohort of newborns with congenital syphilis

Cristian Vallejo, Yolanda Cifuentes

Congenital syphilis is a preventable disease. However, the incidence in Colombia has increased and reached the figure of 3.28 cases per 1,000 live births in 2011.  To characterize newborns with congenital syphilis and describe follow-up over 6 months following their diagnosis and treatment.  Between August, 2011, and February, 2012, in Hospital La Victoria, sede Instituto Materno Infantil, newborns with congenital syphilis were identified and treated. Clinical and laboratory follow-up was carried out for six months until it was determined that the disease was cured. The analyzed variables included patients' clinical and laboratory characteristics.  In this period, we identified 29 cases that met the criteria of congenital syphilis, with a frequency in the institution of one case per 69 births. There was one stillbirth and one neonatal death, four were premature, and five had growth restriction. Of the 28 live births, 15 were asymptomatic. There were two cases with neurosyphilis, representing 15% of symptomatic newborns. Follow-up was done on 18 out of 27 children (66.6%), including most symptomatic cases and the two cases of neurosyphilis. All cases showed the expected decrease in VDRL titers without clinical sequelae, meeting the criteria of being cured.  A high incidence of the disease, failure to prevent it, varied expression in its presentation, and the effectiveness of treatment in the neonatal period were evidenced in this study.