Effectiveness of benzathine penicillin regimen in the treatment of syphilis in pregnancy

Abstract

The intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin G 2.4 million units weekly for 3 consecutive weeks to syphilitic pregnant women was again confirmed to be clinically effective for prevention of their neonates from congenital syphilis and well accepted as treatment for syphilis in pregnancy. It was administered to 184 cases, or 93.5 per cent, of 197 syphilitic gravidas. It was found that pregnancy outcomes in terms of abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, full term delivery, neonatal birth weight, macroscopic examination of the placenta and general physical examination of the neonate were clinically useful as a parameter to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy for the infant. Clinical symptoms and signs in the mother, serological tests for syphilis in the gravida and cord blood of the newborn, and placental weight were not useful in the evaluation of adequacy of treatment of our study group.