Comparing 7-Day Versus 6–8-Day Penicillin Treatment Intervals Among Pregnant People With Syphilis of Late or Unknown Duration: No Difference Found in Incidence of Congenital Syphilis

Abstract

Abstract Background Guidelines recommend that pregnant patients with syphilis of late/unknown duration be treated with benzathine penicillin G, dosed as 3 weekly intramuscular injections (BPGx3) given ideally at strict 7-day intervals. Given limited pharmacokinetic data, it is unknown whether more flexible BPG treatment intervals might be effective in preventing congenital syphilis (CS). Methods We used California surveillance data to identify birthing parent/infant dyads wherein the pregnant parent had syphilis of late/unknown duration between January 1, 2016 – June 30, 2019. We divided the dyads into 3 groups based on prenatal treatment: (1) BPGx3 at strict 7-day intervals, (2) BPGx3 at 6-8 day intervals, and (3) no/inadequate treatment. We then compared CS incidence among infants in each group. Results We analyzed 1,092 parent/infant dyads: 607 (55.6%) in the 7-day treatment group, 70 (6.4%) in the 6–8 day treatment group, and 415 (38.0%) in the no/inadequate treatment group. The incidence proportion of infants meeting CS criteria in each group was, respectively, 5.6%, 5.7%, and 36.9%. Compared with BPGx3 at 7-day intervals, the odds of CS were 1.0 [95% CI 0.4–3.0] in the 6–8 day group and 9.8 [95% CI 6.6–14.7] in the no/inadequate treatment group. Conclusions Prenatal BPGx3 at 6–8 days was no more likely to lead to CS in infants than 7-days. These findings hint that 6-8-day intervals might be adequate to prevent CS among pregnant people with syphilis of late/unknown duration. Consequently, it is possible that CS evaluation beyond an RPR at delivery may be unnecessary in asymptomatic infants whose parents received BPGx3 at 6–8 days.