Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1993;71(6):773–780.

Syphilis-associated perinatal and infant mortality in rural Malawi.

J McDermott 1, R Steketee 1, S Larsen 1, J Wirima 1
PMCID: PMC2393540  PMID: 8313495

Abstract

In Mangochi District, a rural area of Malawi, the prevalence of active syphilis was 3.6% among 3591 women who had singleton births and who were negative for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Compared with non-syphilitic women, those with active syphilis (positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory/rapid plasmin reagin tests (titre > or = 1:8) and a reactive microhaemagglutination assay) were more likely to experience stillbirths as well as the early and late neonatal deaths and even postneonatal deaths of their children. Characteristics associated with active syphilis were not very useful in targeting women at high risk of having the condition, which makes universal screening in antenatal programmes the most efficacious way to prevent syphilis-associated morbidity and mortality. The potential for a programme to prevent congenital syphilis in the perinatal, neonatal, and post-neonatal periods is evident. In considering resource allocation to child survival programmes in areas where the prevalence of syphilis is high, officials need to include antenatal syphilis screening, using rapid tests and treatment at the first contact of the mother with the health care system.

Full text

PDF
773

Selected References

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

  1. Bowell P., Mayne K., Puckett A., Entwistle C., Selkon J. Serological screening tests for syphilis in pregnancy: results of a five year study (1983-87) in the Oxford region. J Clin Pathol. 1989 Dec;42(12):1281–1284. doi: 10.1136/jcp.42.12.1281. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cooper-Poole B. Prevalence of syphilis in Mbeya, Tanzania--the validity of the VDRL as a screening test. East Afr Med J. 1986 Oct;63(10):646–650. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gershman K. A., Rolfs R. T., Larsen S. A., Zaidi A., Palafox N. A. Seroepidemiological characterization of a syphilis epidemic in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, formerly a yaws endemic area. Int J Epidemiol. 1992 Jun;21(3):599–606. doi: 10.1093/ije/21.3.599. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Greenwood A. M., D'Alessandro U., Sisay F., Greenwood B. M. Treponemal infection and the outcome of pregnancy in a rural area of The Gambia, west Africa. J Infect Dis. 1992 Oct;166(4):842–846. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.4.842. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hira S. K., Bhat G. J., Chikamata D. M., Nkowane B., Tembo G., Perine P. L., Meheus A. Syphilis intervention in pregnancy: Zambian demonstration project. Genitourin Med. 1990 Jun;66(3):159–164. doi: 10.1136/sti.66.3.159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Larsen S. A., Oberle M. W., Sanchez-Braverman J. M., Rosero-Bixby L., Vetter K. M. A population-based serosurveillance of syphilis in Costa Rica. Sex Transm Dis. 1991 Apr-Jun;18(2):124–128. doi: 10.1097/00007435-199118020-00013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Manning B., Moodley J., Ross S. M. Syphilis in pregnant black women. S Afr Med J. 1985 Jun 15;67(24):966–967. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Stray-Pedersen B. Economic evaluation of maternal screening to prevent congenital syphilis. Sex Transm Dis. 1983 Oct-Dec;10(4):167–172. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198311000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Widy-Wirski R. Surveillance and control of resurgent yaws in the African region. Rev Infect Dis. 1985 May-Jun;7 (Suppl 2):S227–S232. doi: 10.1093/clinids/7-supplement_2.s227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES