SynthesisSexual and reproductive health matters2019
Syphilis management in pregnancy: a review of guideline recommendations from countries around the world.
Synthesis in Sexual and reproductive health matters, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Uptake of prenatal syphilis screening and its determinants in Ontario, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026Article
- Multivariate spatiotemporal risk of syphilis cases in São Paulo, Brazil (2018-2022).BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Treatment of Syphilis in Pregnancy and Congenital Syphilis: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Future Directions.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Review
- Syphilis in pregnancy: A practical guide for prenatal care providers.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025Article
- Risk factors and diagnostic indicators for congenital syphilis: a Nationwide retrospective survey.Epidemiology and infection · 2025Article
- Evaluation of MAGLUMI syphilis test for accurate detection of syphilis antibodies in blood donors and suspected syphilis cases.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- High Prevalence of Syphilis among Young Pregnant Women in the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Clinical Records in a Public Health Reference Unit in the City of Belém.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Congenital Syphilis: A Re-Emerging but Preventable Infection.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Prevalence and Factors Associated with Syphilis among Mothers with Missed Opportunities for Antenatal Syphilis Testing in Rural Western Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of reproductive medicine · 2023Article
- Clinical Protocols and Treatment Guidelines for the Management of Maternal and Congenital Syphilis in Brazil and Portugal: Analysis and Comparisons: A Narrative Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Article
- Assessment of the efficiency of synergistic photocatalysis on penicillin G biodegradation by whole cell Paracoccus sp.Journal of biological engineering · 2021Article
- Algorithm to guide re-exposure to penicillin in allergic pregnant women with syphilis: Efficacy and safety.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2021Article
- Article
- Sexually transmitted infections in pregnant women from sub-Saharan Africa.Southern African journal of infectious diseases · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Guidelines can help healthcare practitioners manage syphilis in pregnancy and prevent perinatal death or disability. We conducted systematic reviews to locate guidance documents describing management of syphilis in pregnancy, 2003-2017. We compared country and regional guidelines with current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. We found 64 guidelines with recommendations on management of syphilis in pregnancy representing 128 of the 195 WHO member countries, including the two WHO guidelines published in 2016 and 2017. Of the 62 guidelines, 16 were for countries in Africa, 21 for the Americas, two for Eastern Mediterranean, six for Europe and 17 for Asia or the Pacific. Fifty-seven (92%) guidelines recommended universal syphilis screening in pregnancy, of which 46 (81%) recommended testing at the first antenatal care visit. Also, 46 (81%) recommended repeat testing including 21 guidelines recommended this during the third pregnancy trimester and/or at delivery. Fifty-nine (95%) guidelines recommended benzathine penicillin G (BPG) as the first-line therapy for syphilis in pregnancy, consistent with WHO guidelines. Alternative regimens to BPG were listed in 42 (68%) guidelines, primarily from Africa and Asia; only 20 specified that non-penicillin regimens are not proven-effective in treating the fetus. We identified guidance recommending use of injectable penicillin in exposed infants for 112 countries. Most guidelines recommended universal syphilis testing for pregnant women, repeat testing for high-risk women and treatment of infected women with BPG; but several did not. Updating guidance on syphilis testing and treatment in pregnancy to reflect global norms could prevent congenital syphilis and save newborn lives.
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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.