Epidemiological Pattern of Inherited Syphilis in the City of Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, from 2004 to 2007

Objetive: to describe the occurrence of inherited syphilis in the Municipality of Natal, the capital city of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, considering the epidemiological profile of mothers and reported cases. Methodology: a cross-sectional study of all cases occurred in Natal and reported in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan) for the period from 2004 to 2007. Results: within 311 cases eligible for the study, the average annual incidence rate of inherited syphilis was of 6 cases per 1,000 live births, from 2004 to 2007, representing six times the target incidence advocated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health; in 2006 and 2007, there was a 4.4% reduction of incidence in relation to the first two years of the study. Conclusion: the study points out the need for improving prenatal care quality, especially for pregnant women with low socioeconomic conditions, and under risk of premature birth.