title: The resurgence of congenital syphilis: a cocaine-related problem.
abstract: The relationship of maternal illicit drug use to congenital syphilis was studied in a population of newborn infants (N = 1012) who were screened for intrauterine exposure to illicit drugs by meconium analysis and whose mothers were screened for syphilis by the rapid plasmin reagin fluorescent treponemal antibody, absorbed (RPR/FTA-ABS) test. The result of the meconium drug screening was positive in 449 (44.3%) infants: 401 (39.6%) screening results were positive for cocaine, 71 (7%) positive for opiate, and 31 (3.1%) positive for cannabinoid. The maternal RPR/FTA-ABS result was positive in 72 (7.1%) women, and congenital syphilis was diagnosed in 46 (4.5%) infants on the basis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions. The incidence of positive RPR/FTA-ABS result (10.5% vs 4.4%) and congenital syphilis (7% vs 2.5%) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) among infants with positive results compared with those with negative drug screening results. Similarly, the incidence of positive RPR/FTA-ABS (11% vs 4.6%) and congenital syphilis (8% vs 2.3%) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher among infants with cocaine-positive results compared with those with cocaine-negative results. We conclude that maternal illicit drug use, specifically cocaine, is significantly related to the resurgence of congenital syphilis among newborn infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hutzel Hospital, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Sison
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ostrea
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine; D005260:Female; D016508:Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine