Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36008067›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2022

Exploring changes in maternal and congenital syphilis epidemiology to identify factors contributing to increases in congenital syphilis in Florida: a two time-period observational study (2013-2014 vs 2018-2019).

James Matthias, Emma C Spencer, Virginia B Bowen, Thomas A Peterman

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. 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 · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

James MatthiasDivision of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA LNK1@CDC.GOV.ORCID 0000-0002-0782-2651
Emma C SpencerBureau of Communicable Diseases, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
Virginia B BowenDivision of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Thomas A PetermanDivision of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · USFlorida Department of Health · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAs, cases of congenital syphilis (CS) and infectious syphilis among women more than doubled in Florida and across the nation during 2013-2019, we sought to understand what may be contributing to these increases in Florida.

designA two time-period observational study.

settingPregnant women with reported syphilis infections and their pregnancy outcomes (2013-2014 and 2018-2019) in Florida.

participants1213 pregnant women with reported syphilis infections living in Florida and 341 infants meeting the CS case definition. OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed what proportion of the increase in CS was from increases in maternal syphilis infections. We examined maternal demographics, infection characteristics and timing of diagnoses that could explain the increase in CS. Finally, we reviewed if changes in presentation or severity of CS cases occurred.

resultsDuring 2013-2014, 83 (21%) of 404 pregnant women with syphilis delivered babies with CS. During 2018-2019, 258 (32%) of 809 pregnant women with syphilis delivered babies with CS. Comparing CS prevention rates, it was determined that 65% of the increase in CS was due to the increases in maternal syphilis infections. The proportion of maternal cases staged as primary or secondary increased over time (7%-13%) (p<0.01) and reports of drug use became slightly more common (6%-10%) (p=0.02). During 2018-2019, women delivering CS infants were more likely to be reinfected during the same pregnancy (27 (10%) vs 5 (6%) p=0.23) and more had negative third trimester screening tests (43 (17%) vs 7 (8% p=0.07)). The percentage of infants with CS who had ≥1 sign or symptom increased from 35% to 40%, and the combined total of stillbirths and infant deaths increased from 5 to 26.

conclusionsRecently, more pregnant women are being infected with syphilis and a higher per cent are not being treated to prevent CS. The reasons for this finding are unclear.

Indexed as

Pregnancy Complications, InfectiousSyphilisSyphilis, CongenitalFemaleFloridaHumansInfantObservational Studies as TopicPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeEpidemiologyMaternal medicinePaediatric infectious disease & immunisationPrenatal diagnosisPublic healthSEXUAL MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID36008067
PMCPMC9422834
OpenAlexW4293239360

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.