“…IgM antibodies are believed not to cross the placental barrier and the presence of IgM type of antitreponemal antibody in the serum of an infant is believed to indicate that the infant is responding to an infection. If the FTA-ABS test employing a specific anti-IgM conjugate is positive on the infant's serum, it is reasonable to suspect that the child is infected with syphilis and that the antibody is not due to passive transfer of antibody from the mother (Scotti and Logan, 1968;Alford, Polt, Cassady, Straumfijord, and Remington, 1969).…”