Patient education: Congenital syphilis (The Basics)

What is congenital syphilis? — Congenital syphilis is an infection that a baby can get before birth. The term "congenital" means a condition that a person is born with.

Congenital syphilis can cause serious health problems in babies. If it isn't treated, it can cause lifelong health problems.

What causes congenital syphilis? — If a pregnant person has syphilis, the infection can spread to their baby.

Syphilis is an infection that people can catch during sex. It can cause 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.

What are the symptoms of congenital syphilis? — Most newborns with congenital syphilis do not have symptoms. When they do, the most common symptoms include:

●Big liver – The liver is an organ in the upper right side of the belly.

●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, pink, or brown spots on the skin – These are mostly on the back, buttocks, back of the upper legs, and soles of the feet.

●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.

There are many other symptoms that newborns can have, too. But these are not common.

Symptoms in older babies and children include:

●"Saddle nose" – This means that the upper bridge of the nose is flattened.

●The forehead sticks out more than normal

●Inflammation of the cornea (the clear tissue that covers the colored part of the eye)

●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. Tests for congenital syphilis 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. This is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Then, they do lab tests on the spinal fluid.

Other tests might be done to check for problems that babies with congenital syphilis can sometimes have. These tests might include:

●X-rays of the bones

●Hearing test

●Eye exam

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? — The best way to prevent congenital syphilis is to treat your syphilis if you have it. Getting treated before getting pregnant is best, but you can still get treated during pregnancy. Your sex partner or partners should also be treated. It is important to get tested again after treatment to make sure that the treatment worked.

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Patient education: Syphilis (The Basics)