Congenital syphilis in Paraná and its twin cities: focus on Foz do Iguaçu

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the occurrence of congenital syphilis in Paraná and its twin cities, with a focus on Foz do Iguaçu. Method: cross-sectional, retrospective study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data collected in the Notifiable Diseases Information System between 2011 and 2020. The incidence rates of congenital syphilis per 1,000 live births were calculated. Results: in Paraná, 6,088 cases of congenital syphilis were reported. Of these, 338 were in its twin cities. The city with the highest number of cases was Foz do Iguaçu with 320 cases. In Paraná and Foz do Iguaçu, the average annual incidence rates were 3.9 and 7.3 cases/1,000 live births (p<0.05), respectively. The most relevant maternal characteristics were diagnosis of syphilis during prenatal care (65.9%) and inadequate treatment (41.3%) (p<0.05). Conclusion: maternal characteristics related to congenital syphilis require improvement in prenatal care and the feasibility of cross-border public policies.