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Which health problems can congenital syphilis cause in infants who survive?
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syphilis
Scanning electron micrograph of Treponema pallidum, the spirochete bacterium that is the causative agent of syphilis.
Infants who survive congenital syphilis may be born with several health complications, including skin rashes, pneumonia, and skeletal abnormalities.1
If the condition remains untreated, it can lead to severe long-term health issues, such as:
- Blindness and deafness1
- Perforation of the palate1
- Inflammation of the liver1
- Involvement of the central nervous system1
In rare instances, an infant may appear healthy at birth, with no symptoms manifesting until adolescence, at which point signs of late-stage syphilis may emerge. Because these outcomes are preventable through timely medical intervention, it is a fundamental ethical imperative to ensure that pregnant women have access to proper screening and penicillin treatment, which effectively prevents the transmission of the infection to the fetus.12