Syphilis during pregnancy can harm the baby because when the pregnant party is not being treated, the baby can contract syphilis through the placenta, which can develop serious health problems such as deafness, blindness, neurological problems and bony.
Treatment of syphilis during pregnancy is usually done with penicillin and it is important that the couple also undergo the treatment and that the pregnant woman does not have intimate contact without a condom until the end of the treatment.
- Syphilis during pregnancy is serious.
- Especially if syphilis is in its infancy.
- When it is most transmissible.
- Although contamination can occur at any stage of pregnancy.
- The baby can also become infected during a normal delivery if there is a syphilis ulcer in the vagina.
In this case, there is a risk of
The baby can be breastfed unless the mother has a syphilis sore on the nipples.
Most infected babies have no symptoms at birth and therefore all should undergo the VDRL exam at birth, 3 and 6 months later, starting treatment as soon as the disease is discovered.
Fortunately, most pregnant women who are treated according to all medical guidelines do not transmit the disease to the baby.
Treatment of syphilis during pregnancy should be indicated by the obstetrician and is usually done by penicillin injections in 1, 2 or 3 doses, depending on the severity and time of infection.
It is very important that the pregnant woman undergoes treatment to the end to avoid transmitting syphilis to the baby, that she does not have intimate contact until the end of treatment, and that the couple also undergo syphilis treatment to prevent disease progression and prevent the woman’s recontamination.
It is also important that the baby is evaluated at birth so that, if necessary, it can also be treated with penicillin as soon as possible. Learn more about baby syphilis here.
Syphilis during pregnancy is curable when treatment is performed correctly and the VDRL test confirms that syphilis bacteria have been removed. In pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis, the VDRL test should be performed monthly until the end of pregnancy to confirm the elimination of bacteria.
The VDRL test is a blood test used to identify the disease and should be done at the start of prenatal care and repeated in the second trimester, even if the result is negative, because the disease may be dormant and it is important that treatment is done in the same way.
Learn more about the disease in the video below: