Fetal and infant mortality of congenital syphilis reported to the Health Information System

Racial differentials in American Indian- White American Postneonatal Mortality in the United States: evidence from cohort linked birth/infant death records

Purpose

Postneonatal mortality (PNM), which differs from infant and perinatal mortality, has been observed in the past 25 years with respect to the health outcomes of children. While infant and perinatal mortality have been well-evaluated regarding racial differentials, there are no substantial data on PNM in this perspective. The purpose of this study was to assess whether or not social determinants of health adversely affect racial/ethnic PNM differentials in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional, nonexperimental epidemiologic study design was used to assess race as an exposure function of PNM using Cohort Linked Birth/Infant Death Data (2013). The outcome variable assessed PNM, while the main independent variables were race, social demographic variables (i.e. sex and age) and social determinants of health (i.e. marital status and maternal education). The chi-square statistic was used to assess the independence of variables by race, while the logistic regression model was used to assess the odds of PNM by race and other confounding variables.

Findings

During 2013, there were 4,451 children with PNM experience. The cumulative incidence of PNM was 23.6% (n = 2,795) among white infants, 24.3% (n = 1,298) among Black/African-Americans (AA) and 39.5% (n = 88) were American-Indian infants (AI), while 21.3% (n = 270) were multiracial, χ2 (3) = 35.7, p < 0.001. Racial differentials in PNM were observed. Relative to White infants, PNM was two times as likely among AI, odds ratio (OR) 2.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61, 2.78). After controlling for the confounding variables, the burden of PNM persisted among AI, although slightly marginalized, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.70, (99% CI 1.10, 2.65).

Originality/value

In a representative sample of US children, there were racial disparities in PNM infants who are AI compared to their white counterparts, illustrating excess mortality. These findings suggest the need to allocate social and health resources in transforming health equity in this direction.

INCREASE OF INCIDENCE OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN SANTA CATARINA STATE BETWEEN 2007-2017: TEMPORAL TREND ANALYSIS

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the incidence of congenital syphilis and temporal trends of the reported cases of the disease in the state of Santa Catarina between 2007 and 2017.

METHODS

Observational study with retrospective cohort design, with secondary data from the Injury of Notification Information System (SINAN). Linear trend test and geoprocessing were performed to verify the behavior of the cases in the period.

RESULTS

There were 2,898 reported cases of congenital syphilis in the period, with an average of 2.9 per 1,000 live births in the period. There was an exponential increase of 0.9 percentage points per year, considered statistically significant (p<0.001). There was no difference between the incidences of cases in the different regions of the State. The fatality rate was 8.5%, considering deaths from syphilis, miscarriages and stillbirths. The profile was predominant of white mothers, with low schooling and 11.8% did not perform prenatal care. For this reason, 26.9% of them had a diagnosis of syphilis at the time of delivery. Most of the pregnant women (51.9%) had inadequate pharmacological treatment and 65.1% of the partners were not treated.

CONCLUSIONS

There was an exponential increase tendency in cases of congenital syphilis in the State of Santa Catarina in the period studied in all regions of the State, which reveals the failure of prenatal care, late diagnosis and inadequate treatment of the pregnant woman and her partner.

Correction: Fetal and infant mortality of congenital syphilis reported to the Health Information System

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209906.].