Alternative Names
Congenital lues; Fetal syphilis
Definition of Congenital syphilis:
Congenital syphilis is a severe, disabling, and often life-threatening infection seen in infants. A pregnant mother who has syphilis can spread the disease through the placenta to the unborn infant.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Congenital syphilis is caused by the organism Treponema pallidum, which is passed from mother to child during fetal development or birth. Nearly half of all children infected with syphilis while they are in the womb die shortly before or after birth.
Despite the fact that this disease can be cured with antibiotics if caught early, rising rates of syphilis among pregnant women in the United States have recently increased the number of infants born with congenital syphilis.
