Watson-Jones, Deborah; Gumodoka, Balthazar; Weiss, Helen; Changalucha, John; Todd, James; Mugeye, Kokungoza; Buvé, Anne; Kanga, Zephrine; Ndeki, Leonard; Rusizoka, Mary; +5 more... Ross, David; Marealle, Janeth; Balira, Rebecca; Mabey, David; Hayes, Richard; (2002) Syphilis in pregnancy in Tanzania. II. The effectiveness of antenatal syphilis screening and single-dose benzathine penicillin treatment for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The Journal of infectious diseases, 186 (7). pp. 948-957. ISSN 0022-1899 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/342951
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Abstract
Treatment for maternal syphilis with single-dose benzathine penicillin (2.4 million units intramuscularly) is being implemented in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. To examine the effectiveness of this regimen, a prospective cohort of 1688 pregnant women was recruited in Tanzania. Birth outcomes were compared among women treated for high-titer (n=133; rapid plasma reagin [RPR] titer > or = 1:8 and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay [TPHA]/fluorescent treponemal antibody [FTA] positive) and low-titer (n=249; RPR titer <1:8 and TPHA/FTA positive) active syphilis and 950 uninfected women. Stillbirth or low-birth-weight live births were observed in 2.3% and 6.3%, respectively, of women treated for high-titer active syphilis and in 2.5% and 9.2%, respectively, of seronegative women. There was no increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcome for women treated for high-titer active syphilis (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-1.4) or low-titer active syphilis (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.6-1.5), compared with seronegative women. Single-dose treatment is effective in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes attributable to maternal syphilis.