All issues > Volume 26(2); 1983

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1983;26(2):130-136. Published online February 28, 1983.

The Clinical Studies of Congenital Syphilis in Newborns.

D J Cho¹, C H Kim¹, C G Chung¹, B Y Han¹, E B Kwon¹, S I An¹

¹Department of Pediatrics Eul Ji General Hospital

Abstract

The authors observed 56 cases of congenital syphilis in newborns who had been treated at Eul Ji General Hospital during the period of Jan. 1977 through Dec. 1981. 1) The incidence of congenital syphilis in the cases delivered at Evi Ji hospital was 0.5%, while the incidence in the cases transferred from other clinic was 1.7%. 2) About two-thirds(66.1%) of congenital syphilitic newborns were low birth weight infants (weighing less than 2,500 grams) 3) The most common symptoms were hepatomegaly(60.7%), splenomaly(53.6%) anemia (55.6%), skin eruptions(57.2%) and jaundice(51.8%). 4) Eleven newborn babies showed higher VDRL titers compared to those of their mothers, and six babies showed higher than quadriple of their mothers. 5) Hematologic work-ups showed moderate to severe degree of anemia in 31 cases and leukocytosis (20,000/cm3) in about one half of the cases. 6) X-Ray findings varying degree of osteochondritis (in 20 cases-83.3%) and periostitis (16 cases-66.7%) were observed in the long bones in the order of tibia(83.3%), ulna(66.7%) and radius (58.3%) in frequency. 7) Seven (12.5%) of 56 cases were expired, and complications were meningitis(1), pneumo- nia (1), and hepatitis (5)

Keywords :Syphilis; Newborns