Syphilis can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. When this happens it can lead to serious complications for the baby (congenital syphilis).
All women in the UK are offered screening for syphilis as part of their routine antenatal care. It is easy to treat syphilis in pregnancy and treatment is safe for the baby. Routine testing during pregnancy and treatment for women who have the infection mean that congenital syphilis is very rare in the UK.