CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN BRAZIL: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OVERVIEW

Abstract

Syphilis is a bacterial disease caused by Treponema pallidum, whose symptoms depend on its stage of evolution: primary, secondary, tertiary or congenital. Congenital infection happens due to the passage of the bacteria through the placental route, and the others occur through sexual transmission. The serious outcomes that congenital syphilis cause become important and challenging for public policies in Brazil, even though early diagnosis and correct treatment can prevent vertical transmission. Congenital syphilis, in turn, can lead to miscarriage, low birth weight and prematurity. The study aims to analyze relevant variables regarding congenital syphilis in Brazil, such as hospitalizations, deaths, AIH by ethnicity and age group and average hospital stay, from June/2016 to June/2021, based on a survey observational, cross-sectional and retrospective through a survey of data from the Department of Information and Informatics of the SUS (DATASUS). Data collection allowed us to infer that the number of children born with syphilis continues to grow in the Brazilian territory, with a number of 89438 hospitalizations for congenital syphilis in the last 5 years, in addition to 181 deaths at the same time. It was also possible to infer that approximately 40% of the population with approved AIH is of mixed ethnicity, and considering age, those under 1 year of age are responsible for 99% of these hospital admission permits. This context shows how prenatal care is precarious at the national level and the system flawed with mothers and children, being directly related to the increasing levels of the incidence of congenital syphilis in Brazil.