“Syphilis Infection in Pregnancy: Risks, Symptoms, and Treatment”

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TORONTO — Syphilis is an infection that according to doctors can be very dangerous for pregnancy. Infected baby syphilis from their parents can experience some health problems.

“This can lead to fetal death, or stillbirth,” said Darrell Tan, an infectious disease doctor at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto (Canada), quoted by the website. CBCMonday (15/5/2023).

Dr Tan said a child born with syphilis could have several health problems, for example affecting the brain, bones and joints, and almost all organ systems in the body. If caught early, syphilis infection can easily be treated with antibiotics.

However, Dr Tan said that structural inequalities, such as racism and inherited colonization, could also affect people’s willingness or perhaps ability to access care at an early stage. Dr Tan said early treatment might stop syphilis infection.

Syphilis can present a variety of symptoms that can make it difficult to detect the infection early. In the initial infection, syphilis can appear ulcers on exposed parts of the body. However, the boil may be painless, or occur on a part of the body that is difficult to see, such as the vagina or rectum.

In other cases, the infection triggers a fever or rash. These symptoms can prompt a person to seek medical attention, but they can also be mistaken for other ailments. If left untreated, the infection can have serious consequences, including neurological problems, organ damage, vision loss and even death.

Syphilis can be detected with a simple blood test. The PHAC guidelines establish universal screening for syphilis during the first trimester of pregnancy. For those at greater risk of exposure, the guidelines suggest re-screening at 28 to 32 weeks, and again at delivery.

“We have a very effective treatment, just two or more injections of ordinary penicillin,” said Dr Tan.