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.