CONGENITAL SYPHILIS

Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother's syphilis goes untreated during pregnancy and is passed to the baby through the placenta or during labor and delivery. Nearly half of infants that are infected while in the womb die shortly before or after birth. Babies that are infected at delivery have a better prognosis.
Symptoms of syphilis infection in newborns include failure to gain weight, fever, irritability, no bridge to the nose (saddle nose), rash of the mouth, genitals and anus, and a rash which begins as small blisters on the palms and soles which later changes to a copper-colored, flat or bumpy rash, and a watery discharge from the nose. Complications of syphilis in these infants can cause blindness, deafness, facial deformities, and nervous system problems.
If syphilis infection is suspected at birth then the placenta may be examined for signs of the infection. Upon exam the infant may be noted with signs of liver and spleen swelling and bone inflammation. Dark-field examination will be used to look for syphilis bacteria under the microscope. Bone x-rays, eye exams and lumbar puncture may be useful to assess for complications related to syphilis infection.
The normal treatment of syphilis in infants is Penicillin administered intramuscularly. However, developmental symptoms present are likely to be permanent. If undetected and left untreated then the syphilis infection will cause further complications, often neurological.
Routine screening for syphilis in pregnant women is the best prevention of congenital syphilis as this allows for treatment of the infected mother. If treated before the 16th week of pregnancy then the chances of the infection spreading to the unborn child is minimal. Safer sexual practices are also important in prevention. Uninfected mothers=uninfected babies.