Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41857456›Full record

ArticleCanadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique2026

Prenatal characteristics and factors contributing to congenital syphilis: A descriptive analysis of cases reported to the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program June 2021 through May 2023.

Genevieve Gravel, Joanna Merckx, Amandine Bemmo, Kelly Baekyung Choi, Jaskiran Sandhu, Joan Robinson, Ari Bitnun, Jason Brophy, Karen Leis, Laura Sauvé and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

14 authors.

Genevieve GravelCentre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Genevieve.gravel@phac-aspc.gc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-6755-5354
Joanna MerckxCentre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9426-8259
Amandine BemmoCentre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-0095-2243
Kelly Baekyung ChoiCentre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0204-1602
Jaskiran SandhuCentre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4065-7043
Joan RobinsonDepartment of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9831-5681
Ari BitnunDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, SickKids, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5289-5430
Jason BrophyCHEO, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9154-8060
Karen LeisGeneral Pediatrics, Jim Pattison Children's Hospital, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-0768-4948
Laura SauvéPediatric Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2341-9018
Sam WongCanadian Paediatric Society, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2589-3891
Melanie KingCanadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, Canadian Paediatric Society, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Jared BullardPediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9005-1965
Carsten KruegerSection of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-2983

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe incidence of congenital syphilis (CS) in Canada increased from 2.1 to 14.5 reported confirmed cases/100,000 live births from 2017 to 2023 (from 8 to 53 cases). We aimed to document prenatal characteristics and contributing factors to CS among mothers or birthing parents (M/BP) of infants with CS in Canada.

methodsParticipants of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, which includes both paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists, were invited to report on CS cases meeting the study case definition between June 2021 and May 2023. A detailed questionnaire was completed by the reporting clinician. We used descriptive statistics in the assessment of prenatal risk factors among cases, including data on healthcare access, diagnosis, and treatment as well as on socio-demographic, socio-economic and socio-behavioural determinants.

resultsDuring the 24-month study period, 245 live-born cases of CS were reported, including 81 (33.1%) confirmed and 164 (66.9%) probable cases from seven provinces and territories. Substance use in pregnancy was reported in 65% of cases. Only half of M/BP had at least 1 prenatal care visit during their pregnancy, while only one-quarter had ≥ 1 prenatal care visit in each trimester. In a quarter of cases, no syphilis screening was performed during pregnancy. Prenatal syphilis treatment was not initiated among 20% who screened positive.

conclusionIn this country-wide assessment, we identified substantial failures in the delivery of adequate prenatal care to M/BP of live-born infants diagnosed with CS. Public health action, such as community outreach to ensure prenatal care for all pregnant people, with specific attention to the prenatal healthcare needs and engagement in the care of those who use substances, is pressing.

Indexed as

Population SurveillancePregnancy Complications, InfectiousSyphilis, CongenitalAdultCanadaFemaleHumansIncidenceInfant, NewbornPregnancyPrenatal CareRisk FactorsCongenital syphilisPrenatal careRisk factorsSocial determinants of healthSubstance use

Identifiers

PMID41857456
PMCPMC13534403

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.