Qualidade de vida, sintomas depressivos, ansiedade e função sexual em mães de recém-nascidos com sífilis congênita

Abstract

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum and can be transmitted sexually or vertically. Vertical transmission occurs when the mother has an active infection and it can happen at any clinical stage of the disease, whether during the baby's passage through the birth canal or through the transplacental route. The incidence of congenital syphilis is considered an important indicator of the quality of the public health system. In addition to the need for hospitalization and symptoms associated with the disease, vertical transmission of syphilis can lead to high levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms and poor quality of life in mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis. The aim of the study was to assess quality of life, depressive symptoms, anxiety and sexual function in mothers of newborns diagnosed with congenital syphilis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample carried out with mothers of healthy newborns and mothers of newborns diagnosed with congenital syphilis. 126 mothers (63 in each group) over 18 years old admitted to the maternity hospital from January 2018 to March 2019 were included. The interviews were conducted in the first 48 hours after the childbirth and again three months after it. A sample characterization questionnaire, WHOQoL-BREF, Beck's Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Female Sexual Function Index were used. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test. Continuous variables were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test for independent samples. The differences between the scores of quality of life, depressive symptoms, anxiety and sexual function in the two different moments of evaluation were performed by the Wilcoxon test, with a significance level of 5%. Results: Most mothers in both groups were young (median 23 years old), with more than nine years of schooling (> 60%) and stable marital relationships (> 70%). During the time spent in the hospital, mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis had lower scores for overall quality of life than mothers of healthy newborns (p <0.0001), higher levels of state-anxiety (p <0.0001) and depressive symptoms (p <0.0001). There was no difference in sexual function between the two groups. Three months after the first assessment, mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis had higher scores for depressive symptoms (p = 0.021) and lower overall sexual function (p = 0.041) compared to mothers of healthy newborns. Conclusion: Mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis present worse mental health and lower sexual function in the first three months after the birth of children compared to mothers of healthy newborns.