Efficacy of prenatal care in preventing congenital syphilis: a retrospective longitudinal analysis in Araçatuba, São Paulo

Introduction: Congenital syphilis stands as one of the primary causes of abortion worldwide, presenting a public health challenge in Brazil, where its incidence has been on the rise for the past 10 years, despite its preventable nature. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of prenatal care in averting congenital syphilis and mitigating adverse complications for newborns. Design: An observational, longitudinal, retrospective study was conducted, involving 65 newborns with congenital syphilis and their respective mothers. Data were gathered from the Notifiable Diseases Information System of Araçatuba-SP, spanning from 2018 to 2021. Results: A significant correlation was observed between attendance of prenatal care and neonatal outcomes. It was discovered that delayed diagnosis of infection in pregnant women was linked to more severe clinical manifestations in newborns. While only 13.7% of infants born to mothers diagnosed during prenatal care exhibited early symptoms, this figure rose to 57.1% in cases where diagnosis occurred during delivery. Implications: Despite endeavors to eradicate congenital syphilis, the persistent uptick in its incidence indicates deficiencies in prenatal care, underscoring the urgent necessity for interventions in primary healthcare.