Syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis: women's experiences from the perspective of symbolic interactionism.
Jéssica Batistela Vicente, Gabriel Zanin Sanguino, Maria Regina Pontes Luz Riccioppo and 2 others
PMID 36449977WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of infants with congenital syphilis described shock, shame and guilt after syphilis diagnosis, then frustration when their child was diagnosed.
Hospital procedures and follow-up visits helped them reframe care as healing for child and themselves.
Key findings
01When diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy, mothers linked it to HIV and felt shocked, ashamed, guilty and worried about transmitting it to their children.
02A child's congenital syphilis diagnosis was experienced as failure in the maternal role, intensifying guilt, concern and frustration.
03Hospitalization and outpatient follow-up helped mothers reframe the disease as a path to healing and healthy child development.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It is a qualitative study of 30 mothers in a specialized outpatient service in Brazil, so the themes cannot be assumed to apply to all women, families or health systems. Only mothers were interviewed; fathers, children, nurses and other caregivers did not report their own experiences. The children's clinical outcomes, treatment quality and follow-up adherence were not measured. The study did not test a nursing intervention, so it cannot show that education or support reduces stigma or improves care. Analysis was guided by symbolic interactionism and the authors' interpretation, and the authors state the data do not seek generalization or definitive answers.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurses can prevent these feelings or improve child outcomes by using this framework. The study interviewed 30 mothers and identified themes; it did not test any nursing intervention or measure child health outcomes.