Abstract
Of 40 infants born to mothers with positive RPR tests three were symptomatic in the newborn period. After lumbar puncture (LP), these infants were treated with 50,000 μ/kgm of procaine penicillin daily for 10 days. One infant died of syphilitic cirrhosis at 6 months of age; a second had psychomotor retardation at 15 months and one was normal. The remaining 37 infants were asymptomatic at birth. 23 with negative RPR or titers less than their mothers were untreated and did not have LP's. 14 with titers equal to or greater than their mothers had LP's and received one injection of 50,000 units/kgm benzathine penicillin. All were followed at three month intervals until titers were negative. Negative tests were observed in the asymptomatic infants at 6 months in 81 percent and at 12 months in 92 percent. Length of gestation (p 0.05) and birth weight (p 0.05) were lower and cord IgM (p 0.01) were greater in symptomatic infants. Spinal fluid VDRL was negative in all infants. Spinal fluid chemical values in symptomatic and asymptomatic infants were similar. Symptoms at birth was the best predictor of outcome. Currently recommended therapy could not be relied upon to prevent disease.
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Ramamurthy, R., Srinivasan, G., Bharathi, S. et al. 380 PROGNOSIS OF INFANTS WHOSE MOTHERS HAD POSITIVE RAPID PLASMA REAGIN TESTS AT DELIVERY. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 427 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00385
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00385