Congenital syphilis--United States, 2002

Abstract

Congenital syphilis (CS) occurs when the spirochete Treponema pallidum is transmitted from a pregnant woman with syphilis to her fetus. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can lead to stillbirth, neonatal death, or infant disorders such as deafness, neurologic impairment, and bone deformities. This report summarizes 2002 CS surveillance data, which indicated that CS rates have decreased among all racial/ethnic minority populations and in all regions of the United States except the Northeast. To further decrease CS, collaborative efforts among health-care providers, health insurers, policymakers, and the public are needed to increase prenatal care and syphilis screening during pregnancy for women at risk for delivering infants with CS.