Placental weights of neonates born with symptomatic congenital syphilis

Shakti Pillay; Alan R Horn; Lloyd Tooke

doi:10.3389/fped.2023.1215387

Placental weights of neonates born with symptomatic congenital syphilis

Front Pediatr. 2023 Oct 6:11:1215387. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1215387. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Shakti Pillay^{1

2}, Alan R Horn^{1

2}, Lloyd Tooke^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Neonatal Unit, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
² Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Abstract

Background: Syphilis during pregnancy remains an important global health concern causing miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth and neonatal death. As part of the fetal infection, placental changes occur which may include a heavier placenta than expected.

Methods: A cohort of 50 neonates with symptomatic congenital syphilis has previously been described. This cohort was admitted to Groote Schuur neonatal unit in Cape Town South Africa from 2011 to 2013. For this study, the placental weights of the neonates were analyzed and compared to population based placental centiles.

Results: There was data for 37 placentae. Heavy placentae (>90th centile) occurred in 76% of placentae in the study. All 6 infants with birth weights ≥2,500 g had heavy placentae. There was no correlation between placental centile and death.

Conclusion: Heavy placenta are an important and frequent finding with symptomatic congenital syphilis, especially in the larger neonates.

Keywords: congenital; heavy; infection; placenta; syphilis.