Congenital Syphilis

Overview

Congenital syphilis is an infection of the fetus or newborn caused by transmission of the bacterium Treponema pallidum from an infected mother across the placenta during pregnancy, and occasionally through contact with active genital lesions at birth. It is a preventable consequence of untreated or inadequately treated maternal syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection. The condition can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, or neonatal death, and surviving infants may show a wide spectrum of findings, including skin rashes, bone abnormalities, enlargement of the liver and spleen, anemia, and later effects on the teeth, eyes, ears, and nervous system. Many affected newborns appear normal at birth, so screening of pregnant women, timely antibiotic treatment with penicillin, and surveillance of incidence trends are central to control. Within the scope of Women's Reproductive Health, congenital syphilis sits at the intersection of antenatal care, infectious disease, and maternal-child outcomes. The journal's research includes a cross-sectional study of correlations with congenital syphilis in the United States, examining factors associated with cases. This page assembles peer-reviewed, open-access work relevant to maternal and reproductive health and to the prevention of mother-to-child infections.

Research published in this journal

1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

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