Syphilis in gestation: barriers in prenatal care for the control of vertical transmission

Abstract Background Gestational syphilis is a mother-to-fetus mother-to-child disease that, if left untreated, can result in numerous negative outcomes for maternal and child health. Objective Evaluate the barriers in prenatal care for the control of vertical transmission of syphilis in pregnant women according to the sociodemographic, reproductive, and care profile in a metropolis of northeastern Brazil. Method This is a descriptive study, conducted from a database of a case-control study for gestational syphilis in public maternity hospitals in the Northeast of Brazil, between 2013 and 2014. Information on follow-up and treatment was obtained through prenatal card records and interviews. The diagnosis of syphilis considered card records, chart notes, and results from the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL). Results A total of 1,206 women were included, 91.7% were prenatal and declared to be married, with fewer children and higher educational levels. The VDRL result of prenatal care was noted at 23.9%. Among the 838 women who received the VDRL in prenatal care, 21% were reactants and 70.5% treated the infection. Of these, 69.4% used the scheme for tertiary syphilis and 8.1% were treated with other medications. Conclusion Prenatal care did not reach effectiveness in the prevention and screening of syphilis since women reacting to the infection on maternity admission occurred, albeit to a lesser extent, and the opportunity to achieve control of the disease was lost.