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. 1999 Apr;89(4):557–560. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.4.557

An epidemic of congenital syphilis in Jefferson County, Texas, 1994-1995: inadequate prenatal syphilis testing after an outbreak in adults.

K L Southwick 1, H M Guidry 1, M M Weldon 1, K J Mert 1, S M Berman 1, W C Levine 1
PMCID: PMC1508896  PMID: 10191801

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: After a syphilis epidemic in Jefferson County, Texas, in 1993 and 1994, congenital syphilis prevalence and risk factors were determined and local prenatal syphilis screening practices were assessed. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed, pregnant women with syphilis were interviewed, and prenatal care providers were surveyed. RESULTS: Of 91 women, 59 (65%) had infants with congenital syphilis. Among African Americans, the prevalence per 1000 live births was 24.1 in 1994 and 17.9 in 1995. Of the 50 women with at least 2 prenatal care visits who had infants with congenital syphilis, 15 (30%) had received inadequate testing. Only 16% of 31 providers obtained an early third-trimester syphilis test on all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate prenatal testing contributed to this outbreak of congenital syphilis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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