4 month old child infected with syphilis

The patient's mother was diagnosed with syphilis through prenatal screening at the provincial hospital at 34 weeks of pregnancy and was treated for syphilis with a regimen of 3 injections of Penicillin, each injection 1 week apart. One day after the last injection, the patient's mother showed signs of labor and gave birth at 36 weeks. The patient's birth weight was 2.3 kg and there were no abnormalities. The patient had not been screened for neonatal syphilis.

Through examination and some specialized tests, Master. Doctor Nguyen Doan Tuan, Department of Women's and Children's Skin Diseases, Central Dermatology Hospital, determined that the child patient had a case of early congenital syphilis, meeting the criteria for confirming the disease through testing and the mother's medical history.

BSCKII. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, head of the Department of Treatment of Skin Diseases for Women and Children, Central Dermatology Hospital, said that congenital syphilis is a case where the mother has syphilis and transmits it to the fetus during pregnancy. Transmission usually occurs from the 4th to 5th month of pregnancy. Depending on the level of infection from the mother to the fetus, the following cases may occur: miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and death. In milder cases, the newborn baby looks normal, after a few days or months, syphilis lesions appear, then it is called early congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis can appear later when the child is over 2 years old; when 5 - 6 years old or older, it is called late congenital syphilis.

Symptoms of early congenital syphilis usually appear in the first 2 years, most commonly in the first 3 months with symptoms such as blisters on the palms and soles, more commonly symptoms of desquamation on the palms and soles, runny nose, sniffling, osteochondritis, pseudo-parrot paralysis (due to inflammation of the ends of long bones causing difficulty in movement). Newborns are often underweight, have wrinkled skin, large abdomen, collateral circulation, enlarged liver and spleen.

Late congenital syphilis usually appears 3-4 years after birth with symptoms such as: interstitial keratitis often appears during puberty, starting with symptoms of eye pain, photophobia on one side, later on both sides and can lead to blindness, convergent strabismus, deafness in both ears starting at age 10, often accompanied by interstitial keratitis. In addition, deformities such as: perforated palate, prominent forehead, sword-shaped tibia... If the disease is detected early, it can be cured and leave no sequelae.

In this case, when the mother has detected syphilis during pregnancy, the child should have blood drawn for screening and treatment immediately after birth to minimize the risk of possible complications.

Dr. Thuy also recommends that syphilis testing should be done for all pregnant women at the first visit using a rapid syphilis test to detect, treat early, and prevent transmission of syphilis from mother to child. In addition, communication and education for the community, especially high-risk populations (prostitutes, men who have sex with men) about the causes of the disease, transmission routes, complications, prevention methods, and benefits of early testing and treatment should be promoted. Practice safe sex to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and possible unfortunate consequences.

Ngoc Vu

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/benh-nhi-4-thang-tuoi-nhiem-giang-mai-post545592.html