Loredana Sabina Cornelia Manolescu1, Calin Boeru2, Constantin Căruntu3, Cristiana Cerasella Dragomirescu4, Mirela Goldis2, Gheorghiţă Jugulete5, Mihaela Marin2, Gabriela Loredana Popa6, Mădălina Preda4, Mihaela Corina Radu7, Mircea Ioan Popa4. 1. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania. 2. Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital, Str. Mihai Bravu nr. 106, 100409, Ploieşti, Romania. 3. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Department of Dermatology, Prof. N.C. Paulescu National Institute of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Str. Grigore Manolescu nr. 22-24, 030167, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: costin.caruntu@gmail.com. 4. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Splaiul Independentei nr. 103, 050096, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania. 5. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Clinical Section IX - Pediatrics, "Prof. Dr. Matei Balş" National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Str. Dr. Calistrat Grozovici 1, 021105, Bucharest, Romania. 6. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Colentina Clinical Hospital (CDPC), Sos. Stefan cel Mare nr. 19-21, Sector 2, 020125, Bucharest, Romania. 7. "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari nr. 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital, Str. Mihai Bravu nr. 106, 100409, Ploieşti, Romania.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: to establish the incidence of syphilis in a group of childbearing women and their newborn babies in Romania and to identify the major risk factors of materno-fetal transmission in order for midwives to develop strategies to help prevent congenital syphilis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a descriptive study of a group of 982 childbearing women who gave birth during a three-month period at an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital in Romania. The women completed a questionnaire, which consisted of three sections: general data, general knowledge of syphilis and birth and pregnancy data. After admission to hospital, the women were investigated for syphilis using serological tests. RESULTS: there was a syphilis frequency of 0.91649% (n = 9) among the surveyed women. Among the nine infected women, two were not aware that they had a syphilis infection when initially admitted to hospital. The maternal profile with the highest risk of being diagnosed with syphilis was a young woman who had not had adequate prenatal care, who had elementary sex education and who lacked knowledge of personal health and hygiene. A significant percentage of the respondents, namely 11.9% (n = 117), were aged 15 to 20. CONCLUSIONS: in certain population groups, syphilis is still an important health care problem, especially in vulnerable individuals, such as childbearing women and newborns babies. More attention needs to be paid to primary prevention; the number of cases of congenital syphilis could be reduced by more involvement of midwifes and family doctors in antenatal care.
OBJECTIVE: to establish the incidence of syphilis in a group of childbearing women and their newborn babies in Romania and to identify the major risk factors of materno-fetal transmission in order for midwives to develop strategies to help prevent congenital syphilis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a descriptive study of a group of 982 childbearing women who gave birth during a three-month period at an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital in Romania. The women completed a questionnaire, which consisted of three sections: general data, general knowledge of syphilis and birth and pregnancy data. After admission to hospital, the women were investigated for syphilis using serological tests. RESULTS: there was a syphilis frequency of 0.91649% (n = 9) among the surveyed women. Among the nine infectedwomen, two were not aware that they had a syphilis infection when initially admitted to hospital. The maternal profile with the highest risk of being diagnosed with syphilis was a young woman who had not had adequate prenatal care, who had elementary sex education and who lacked knowledge of personal health and hygiene. A significant percentage of the respondents, namely 11.9% (n = 117), were aged 15 to 20. CONCLUSIONS: in certain population groups, syphilis is still an important health care problem, especially in vulnerable individuals, such as childbearing women and newborns babies. More attention needs to be paid to primary prevention; the number of cases of congenital syphilis could be reduced by more involvement of midwifes and family doctors in antenatal care.
Authors: Mihaela C Radu; Anca I Dumitrescu; Corneliu Zaharia; Calin Boeru; Melania E Pop-Tudose; Claudia F Iancu; Razvan D Chivu Journal: Cureus Date: 2021-03-12
Authors: Mihaela C Radu; Calin Boeru; Melania-Elena Pop-Tudose; Andrei Necsulescu; Anca Dumitrescu; Claudia F Iancu; Irina Nita; Alexandra M Limbau; Corneliu Zaharia Journal: Cureus Date: 2021-06-01