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What is congenital syphilis? — Congenital syphilis is a dangerous infection that babies can get if their mothers have syphilis during pregnancy. The term "congenital" means a condition a person is born with.
Syphilis is an infection you can catch during sex that causes red sores, usually on the penis or around the vagina or anus. Since the sores don't hurt, many people don't get treatment for syphilis. If a woman has syphilis when she is pregnant, the infection can spread to the baby through the placenta. (The placenta is the organ that brings the baby nutrients and oxygen and carries away waste.) Babies can also become infected during birth.
Congenital syphilis is very serious. It can cause a baby to be born too early or to die before birth.
What are the symptoms of congenital syphilis? — Most newborns with congenital syphilis do not have symptoms. When they do, symptoms include:
●A big liver – The liver is an organ in the upper right side of the belly.
●A runny nose – This is worse than the runny nose from a common cold. Babies with congenital syphilis have mucus that is white and might be bloody. The mucus contains the germs that cause syphilis. You can get syphilis if you touch it.
●Small red or pink spots on the skin – These are mostly on the back, the bottom, the back of the upper legs, and the soles of the feet. The skin spots contain the germs that cause syphilis. You can get syphilis if you touch them.
●Swollen lymph nodes – Lymph nodes are bean-shaped organs found all over the body under the skin. They make and store cells that fight infections.
Symptoms in older babies and children include:
●A "saddle nose" – This means the upper bridge of the nose is flattened
●A forehead that sticks out more than normal
●Inflammation of the clear tissue that covers the colored part of the eye, called the "cornea"
●Hearing loss
●Teeth that have notches and gaps between them
●Scars around the mouth
●Red, open sores on the skin
●Problems with the bones and joints, mostly in the legs
●Trouble thinking and solving problems
Are there tests for congenital syphilis? — Yes. The doctor might take a sample of the discharge from the baby's nose or from a sore on the baby's body. Then another doctor will look at this fluid under a microscope to check for signs of the infection.
Other tests might include:
●Blood tests
●Lumbar puncture (also known as a "spinal tap") – For this test, a doctor puts a thin needle in the lower back and removes a small amount of spinal fluid. Spinal fluid is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. They will do lab tests on the spinal fluid.
How is congenital syphilis treated? — Congenital syphilis is treated with a medicine called penicillin. The medicine can be given as an injection (shot) or through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV."
Can congenital syphilis be prevented? — Preventing and treating syphilis in adults can prevent congenital syphilis. Adults can lower their chances of getting syphilis by:
●Using a latex condom every time they have sex
●Avoiding sex when either person has any symptoms that could be caused by an infection
●Not having sex
Another way to prevent congenital syphilis is to make sure that women who get syphilis are treated. Getting treated before getting pregnant is best, but women can still get treated during pregnancy. It is important to get tested after treatment to make sure that the treatment worked.
