I enjoyed reading your informative post regarding syphilis. To add to your post, vertical transmission, which results in congenital syphilis (CS), is preventable if the maternal syphilis is detected, and benzathine penicillin G appropriate for the mother's stage of infection is initiated for more than 30 days before delivery. If untreated, CS can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. If the infants survive, they may develop severe illness, including skeletal abnormalities; hepatosplenomegaly; jaundice; anemia; optic atrophy; interstitial keratitis; sensorineural deafness; or meningitis, which can cause developmental delays and seizures. To reduce CS, the timely detection of and response to syphilis is critical. The Centers for
