Management And Fetal Risks Of Syphilis Contagion During Pregnancy

In spite of the long history of medical interest in syphilis and its effects on pregnancy outcome, syphilis is still a cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. The clinical manifestations of congenital syphilis are influenced by gestational age, stage of maternal syphilis, maternal treatment, and immunological response of the fetus. The current article focuses on the clinical management of syphilis infection during pregnancy and associated fetal risks.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial disease caused by the bacterium  Treponema pallidum that in pregnancy can  lead to adverse outcomes like  stillbirth, early fetal death, low birth weight, preterm delivery, neonatal death or disease in the newborn. Screening and early detection can help to reduce these costs because treatment for early stage syphilis is less expensive than treatment for the later-stage disease. Furthermore,…