Gestational and congenital syphilis.

The frequency of congenital syphilis continues to increase throughout the United States during the 1980s. Untreated maternal infection can lead to stillbirth, premature labor, congenital infection, and neonatal death. Preventive measures, based on control of early syphilis in women, prenatal care, improved diagnosis and diligent followup, can help to decrease the incidence of congenital syphilis. The clinical presentation and recommended regimens for therapy of the gravida with syphilis and neonates with suspected congenital syphilis are reviewed.