VDRL reactive mother gave birth to an infant. All of the following would help in determining the risk of transmission to the infant except:
Ans. is 'b' i.e., TPHA test on the serum sample of the infant(Ref: Harrison, 19th/e, p. 1132; Ananthanarayan, 9th/e, p. 370)Tests for antibodies in the newborn's blood are not always positive at first, even when infection is present in the infant, possibly because if the infection is acquired late in pregnancy, specific antibody have not had time to form.ABOUT OTHER OPTIONSOption 'a' - A positive TPHA on maternal serum confirms the diagnosis of maternal syphilis and depending on the age of gestation indicate the risk of transmission.Option 'c' - Infant should be evaluated for congenital syphilis if the newborn has a titre four-fold greater than mother (Examination of paired serum example of the infant and mother).Option 'd' - Early and adequate treatment of mother decreases the risk of transmission.
TPHA test on the serum sample of the mother
TPHA test on the serum sample of the infant
VDRL on the paired serum sample of the infant and mother
Time interval between the treatment of the mother and her delivery
Bacteria