Congenital syphilis is syphilis that is transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy. Transmission of the pregnant woman to the fetus can occur through the passage of the bacterium through the placenta or at the time of delivery.
Women who become pregnant with syphilis or acquire the disease after being pregnant and are not receiving proper treatment can deliver syphilis to the baby.
Congenital syphilis can cause several problems, such as preterm delivery, fetal malformation, neonatal death, low birth weight, congenital anomalies, and neurological sequelae.
When signs and symptoms occur soon after birth or during the first 2 years of life, the disease is called early congenital syphilis.
In these cases, the clinical manifestations appear in the first months of life. In more severe cases, there may be sepsis (generalized infection), severe anemia, hemorrhage and jaundice.
The child with early congenital syphilis also has mucosal and skin lesions, bone diseases, brain lesions, respiratory problems, enlarged liver and spleen, limb paralysis, pancreas and kidney infections, among other serious Cheers.
When congenital syphilis develops after 2 years of age, it is called late congenital syphilis. The characteristics are similar to those of adult tertiary syphilis, with lesions that are limited to one organ or some organs.
Treatment of congenital syphilis is done with antibiotics, usually penicillin. The baby needs to be hospitalized for a time to screen for possible complications and must be followed up to 18 months to ensure the treatment has been completed and the illness has left no sequelae.
More in: Does congenital syphilis have a cure? What is the treatment?
A blood test to diagnose syphilis is part of the testing that must be done by women during prenatal care.
Syphilis can be prevented by the use of condoms in sexual intercourse.
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