It is hard to imagine the disease of syphilis in children because children are sexually active in rare conditions. But still, the infection can occur because of vertical transmission during the stages of pregnancy or delivery (congenital syphilis).
It can also occur in similar ways as it appears in adults (acquired syphilis). Previous literature revealed that children can get acquired syphilis from sexual transmission due to sexual abuse from any adult who is infected by the disease.
Children may have congenital or acquired syphilis. Acquired syphilis in children is not much frequent. But still, you should not ignore it. You must consider sexual transmission when children suffer from primary or secondary syphilis.
Congenital Syphilis
It is a chronic infectious disease that is caused by a spirochete. The fetus acquires the infection in the uterus before birth. Symptoms of this disease appear after several weeks, months, or even years of birth. Congenital syphilis transfers in the children from the mother.
The infant is likely to have syphilis if the mother is infected from the disease during pregnancy. Early congenital syphilis symptoms include problems of the skin, fever, and low birth weight. Symptoms of disease do not appear usually in congenital syphilis until the age of two or five years.
Kissing Children And Syphilis
Children can get syphilis from fonding, kissing, breastfeeding, handling, or pre-chewed feeding. Even contaminated utensils use can transmit the disease in children when caregivers or family members have active syphilis. Three cases of heavy endemic syphilis were reported in China.
These cases were similar to each other in many aspects. For example, all the infected children were diagnosed with secondary syphilis that was transmitted from the caregivers. There was no background of sexual abuse in these cases.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of this disease can be delayed because symptoms do not always appear in children. Any child whose mother is infected with syphilis should be suspected of having congenital syphilis. Further testing is needed if symptoms do not match with congenital syphilis.
Mode Of Disease Transmission
The common mode of transmission is sexual abuse. Other forms of transmission are also possible. In poor environmental conditions, children can suffer from acquired syphilis. Infections in children can also develop in professional families.
Some researchers revealed the presence of T.Pallidum in the oral cavity. It can be transmitted through closer contact with the host in individuals. An infectious caregiver or mother can transfer syphilis in children at higher risk because they touch the children.
They can check the temperature of babies and taste the spoon of infants for the purpose of checking the temperature of food. Moreover, infants thrust the fingers of caregivers or their mothers into their mouths. Later on, they put the fingers in their own mouth.
It was reported recently that infants can easily contact syphilis from the transfer of pre chewed food from their relatives who are actively infected. This behavior is examined in infants before developing teeth usually before one or two years.
It happens in the rural areas where people are not much educated. It is tough to identify the routes that cause infection. Doctors use a general term that is called close contact. Children who live with their caregivers share eating utensils, lavatories, beds, and towels possibly.
Other behaviors of close contact are also present like kissing and helping with baths. Syphilis can be transmitted in children from the caregiver or mother that is called non-sexual transmission of this disease. It is a likely occurrence of the disease in children.
Congenital syphilis is concerned highly as compared to acquired syphilis. Generally, acquired syphilis is more common in children. Domestic close contact plays a vital role in the transmission of the disease. It is important to identify acquired syphilis in children.
It helps to protect other children from getting diseases. Moreover, it saves your child from developing neurological and cardiovascular signs. Adequate treatment is a good way to keep your child safe. It is challenging to prevent the spread of syphilis in children if their relatives have syphilis.
The reason is that the high incidence of the infection of disease in adults transmit the disease in children. Carry out epidemiologic investigation and routine examination to prevent syphilis.
If you have syphilis and your child shows some symptoms of it then contact your doctor immediately to get a good treatment for yourself and your child. Moreover, take your child to the doctor if he/she does not show any symptoms if you are infected with syphilis.