Baby born with syphilis dies on day 3
A baby boy born infected with syphilis died on April 17, three days after birth, the first such case in Dagupan City.
Dr. Jocelyn Tongson, head of the Social Hygiene Clinic at the city hall, told The PUNCH that the boy’s mother, given a dose of anti-syphilis, will continue to be monitored by government doctors.
“This is the first time we encountered a case where a newborn baby died due to syphilis,” Tongson said.
She added that this was unfortunate because the disease is curable and the baby could have been saved had the mother been treated early on.
“Syphilis is easy to cure,” she said.
The mother, who did not have any pre-natal check-up during her pregnancy, was found to have syphilis through a blood test conducted at the hospital just before she gave birth.
The mother, whose name has been withheld, claimed she was not aware that she had contracted the sexually transmitted disease.
The father has gone missing upon learning about the incident and the hospital did not have a chance to test him.
The baby boy was the mother’s fifth child and the only one affected.
Tongson said their initial investigation on the case indicate that the mother would stay away from home for weeks.
Dr. Marlene Quimboy, the baby’s pediatrician, said the infant was actually born healthy, although underweight.
Nonetheless, a newborn who has contracted the disease from an infected mother has a slim chance of survival.#
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