What is Congenital Syphilis?
Congenital syphilis is a serious and potentially life-threatening infection that an infected mother can pass along to her baby.
Congenital syphilis can cause symptoms such as skin rashes, fever, an enlarged liver and spleen, and bone abnormalities in the infected baby. In severe cases, it can lead to stillbirth, premature birth, or serious developmental and neurological issues.
Congenital syphilis can be prevented through early detection and treatment of syphilis in pregnant individuals, highlighting the importance of prenatal care and routine screening for sexually transmitted infections during pregnancy.
In the past 10 years, congenital syphilis has increased by 700%.*
Printable Congenital Syphilis Fact Sheet
Did You Know?
- Recently, the number of babies being born with syphilis has been increasing in the U.S.
- Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Congenital syphilis is when a mother that has syphilis, passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy.
- Up to 2 out of 5 babies born to mothers with untreated syphilis die from the infection.**
Why Does This Matter?
Babies born with congenital syphilis can suffer major health impacts:
- Deformed bones
- Jaundice and severe anemia
- Brain and nerve issues
- Death
A mother that has syphilis and has not been treated could suffer:
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Premature birth
- Low birthweight
How Do I Prevent Congenital Syphilis?
- Get a syphilis test at your first prenatal visit.
- If you test positive, there is treatment available to cure the infection.
- Reduce your risk of getting syphilis before and during your pregnancy by:
- Practicing safer sex by using a condom to prevent STDs like syphilis.
- Getting regular STD testing.
Sources
* CNN - Rates of congenital syphilis are skyrocketing in the US. Here’s why
** CDC - Syphilis