SynthesisBMC public health2011
Lives Saved Tool supplement detection and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy to reduce syphilis related stillbirths and neonatal mortality.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
83 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 232 citations in OpenAlex.
- The impact of antibiotic treatment for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea during pregnancy on birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of global health · 2023Pooled it
- Antibiotic treatment for newborns with congenital syphilis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Strategies for improving health care seeking for maternal and newborn illnesses in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Global health action · 2016Pooled it
- Treatment of syphilis: a systematic review.JAMA · 2014Pooled it
- Strategies of testing for syphilis during pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Untreated maternal syphilis and adverse outcomes of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2013Pooled it
- Safety of benzathine penicillin for preventing congenital syphilis: a systematic review.PloS one · 2013Pooled it
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes after intrauterine and neonatal insults: a systematic review.Lancet (London, England) · 2012Pooled it
- Effectiveness of interventions to screen and manage infections during pregnancy on reducing stillbirths: a review.BMC public health · 2011Pooled it
- Causes of Death Among Stillbirths and Children Aged <5 Years in Africa and South Asia - Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance, Seven Countries, 2016-2024.Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) · 2026Article
- Congenital syphilis in Portugal, 2015-2024: Temporal-spatial characterization and gaps in prevention of vertical transmission.Epidemiology and infection · 2026Article
- Low syphilis treatment rates and associated birth outcomes in pregnant women with and without HIV in Zambia: A cohort study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Article
- Association Between Maternal Syphilis Infection and Stillbirth Among Women Delivering at Jinja and Hoima Regional Referral Hospitals: An Unmatched Case-Control Study.Obstetrics and gynecology international · 2026Article
- Disability status and socioeconomic related inequality in receiving quality antenatal care in nine low- and middle-income countries: A multilevel analysis.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- The cost of inaction to strengthen the resilience of primary health care in Latin America and the Caribbean: a modelling study.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2025Article
- Provision of recommended antenatal care services in Ethiopia: missed opportunity for screening and counselling.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Syphilis Exposure During Pregnancy and Childhood Hospital Admissions in Brazil.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- The costs and benefits of scaling up interventions to prevent poor birth outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study.The Lancet. Global health · 2024Article
23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGlobally syphilis is an important yet preventable cause of stillbirth, neonatal mortality and morbidity.
objectivesThis review sought to estimate the effect of detection and treatment of active syphilis in pregnancy with at least 2.4 MU benzathine penicillin (or equivalent) on syphilis-related stillbirths and neonatal mortality.
methodsWe conducted a systematic literature review of multiple databases to identify relevant studies. Data were abstracted into standardised tables and the quality of evidence was assessed using adapted GRADE criteria. Where appropriate, meta-analyses were undertaken.
resultsModerate quality evidence (3 studies) supports a reduction in the incidence of clinical congenital syphilis of 97% (95% c.i 93 - 98%) with detection and treatment of women with active syphilis in pregnancy with at least 2.4 MU penicillin. The results of meta-analyses suggest that treatment with penicillin is associated with an 82% reduction in stillbirth (95% c.i. 67 - 90%) (8 studies), a 64% reduction in preterm delivery (95% c.i. 53 - 73%) (7 studies) and an 80% reduction in neonatal deaths (95% c.i. 68 - 87%) (5 studies). Although these effect estimates were large and remarkably consistent across studies, few of the studies adjusted for potential confounding factors and thus the overall quality of the evidence was considered low. However, given these large observed effects and a clear biological mechanism for effectiveness the GRADE recommendation is strong.
conclusionDetection and appropriate, timely penicillin treatment is a highly effective intervention to reduce adverse syphilis-related pregnancy outcomes. More research is required to identify the most cost-effective strategies for achieving maximum coverage of screening for all pregnant women, and access to treatment if required.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.