Epidemiological data on congenital and gestational syphilis in the state of Ceará

Abstract

Introduction: Vertical transmission of syphilis can occur at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of the stage of the maternal disease. In Brazil, there is a constant increase in the number of cases of syphilis in pregnant women, congenital and acquired syphilis. Objective: To identify epidemiological aspects of cases of congenital and gestational syphilis in the State of Ceará. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study, with analysis of data on congenital and gestational syphilis in Ceará using the Notifiable Diseases Information System and dataSUS between 2013 and 2023. Results: During the studied period, 17,512 cases of syphilis in pregnant women were reported. Most women were diagnosed in the first trimester of pregnancy with 6,258 cases. Regarding the age group, 9,515 are adult women between 20 and 29 years old and regarding the level of education, 3,779 of the cases have incomplete 5th to 8th grade. Regarding race or color, 13,855 women declared themselves mixed race. The total number of cases of congenital syphilis was 12,000 cases, with diagnosis in children less than 7 days old in 98% of cases. Conclusion: Cases of gestational syphilis and congenital syphilis were highly prevalent in Ceará, affecting young, sexually active women with low education, predominantly of mixed race, who underwent prenatal care.