Syphilis in Pregnant Women and Their Children in the United Kingdom: Results From National Clinician Reporting Surveys 1994-1997

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Syphilis in Pregnant Women and Their Children in the United Kingdom: Results From National Clinician Reporting Surveys 1994-1997

British Medical Journal Online (12/12/98) Vol. 317, No. 7137, P. 1617
Hurtig, A.-K.; Nicoll, A.; Carne, C.; et al.

Researchers from the Sexually Transmitted Disease Section of the United Kingdom's Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Center in London have concluded that "current [routine antenatal] screening prevents congenital syphilis and that some fetuses and infants would be placed at risk if routine screening was stopped." The researchers conducted a study of syphilis rates in pregnant women and their children in Britain; the study is intended to inform the National Screening Committee in their formulation of national policy on routine antenatal screening for syphilis. According to the report, 139 women were diagnosed and treated for syphilis in pregnancy between 1994 and 1997, with 121 detected through antenatal screening. Of these women, 31 showed confirmed or probable congenitally transmissible syphilis. The authors note that these are minimum levels. They estimate that, at maximum, 18,600 women would have to be screened to detect one woman needing treatment for syphilis in pregnancy and 55,700 women would need to be screened for the prevention of one case of congenital syphilis. Over the course study the scientists recorded nine presumptive cases of children born with congenital syphilis in the United Kingdom. While pregnant women who were treated for the disease were found in every region, the Thames region was over-represented, at 73 percent. Additionally, minority ethnic groups and women born outside of the United Kingdom were over-represented.

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