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Syphilis Testing: Essential for a Safe Pregnancy

Date: 07/16/24

What is congenital syphilis, and can it harm my baby?

Congenital syphilis happens when a person has syphilis and it passes to their baby during pregnancy.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). You can get it from having unprotected sex with a person who has syphilis. Syphilis is 100% curable with antibiotics. But without treatment, it can cause serious health problems. It can damage your heart, brain, muscles, bones and eyes.

It is possible for you to have syphilis and not know it.

What is congenital syphilis?

Congenital syphilis is when a baby is born infected with syphilis. The only way your unborn baby can get congenital syphilis is if you have syphilis and pass it to your baby.

Important: If you have syphilis during pregnancy and don’t get treated, you can pass it to your baby. If your syphilis isn’t treated, it can cause serious problems for your baby, including death.

Can syphilis cause problems during my pregnancy?

Yes. Syphilis during pregnancy can cause:

  • Miscarriage
  • Premature birth
  • Low birthweight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces at birth)
  • Issues with the placenta and umbilical cord
  • Stillbirth (when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy)

This only happens if you don’t receive treatment for syphilis. This is why going to your prenatal visits and getting tested for STIs is so important. Treatment before 26 weeks of pregnancy leads to the best outcomes.

Can congenital syphilis harm my baby after birth?

Yes. Congenital syphilis can cause:

  • Neonatal death (when a baby dies in the first 28 days of life)
  • Fever
  • Problems with baby’s spleen and liver
  • Meningitis (an infection that causes swelling in the brain and spinal cord)
  • Issues with their bones and joints
  • Vision and hearing problems
  • Problems with the nervous system, including having paralyzed arms or legs and seizures
  • Developmental delays (when your child doesn’t reach developmental milestones — such as sitting, walking and talking — at the expected age)

I'm pregnant. How can I keep my baby from getting syphilis?

Get a syphilis test the first time you see a health care provider during pregnancy. Your provider will take some blood and test it for the infection. Your provider should test you for STIs during one of your first prenatal visits. But if they don’t or you're not sure if they have, bring it up with them.

Even if you have been tested for syphilis in the past, you should get tested again when you become pregnant. Remember that it's possible to get syphilis and not know it.

If you test positive, it’s important to be treated right away, for both your health and your baby’s.