A congenital syphilitic child to an adequately treated syphilitic mother

Abstract

A mentally ill antenatal mother of 34 weeks gestation was diagnosed as a case of latent syphilis of unknown duration and was treated adequately with benzathine penicillin. One month after last dose of penicillin she delivered a male baby without any clinical or radiological evidence of syphilis, but reactive RPR in 1:64 dilution. Baby was treated as per CDC guidelines. It is also the gestational age at which the mother was treated decides the outcome in child in addition to stage of syphilis. These reported congenital syphilis cases necessitates early screening and adequate treatment of syphilis mainly in pregnancy.

An infant with acral peeling of skin: A curious case of congenital syphilis

“…The probability of transmission is 70% to 100% during primary syphilis, 40% during early latent syphilis, and 10% in late latent syphilis. [ 1 ] Pregnant women should be screened for syphilis as per the NACO guidelines at their first antenatal checkup visit (preferably in the first trimester) for early detection. CS is a potentially fatal but preventable disease.…”