Can STDs Infect a Developing Fetus During Pregnancy?
STDs can be transmitted from mother to baby before, during, or after birth. Certain STDs, such as syphilis, can cross the placenta and infect your developing baby. Others such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and herpes are transmitted to babies as they pass through the birth canal. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can infect babies through the placenta, and also during the birth process. Unlike other STDs, HIV can also infect an infant after he’s born through his mother’s breast milk. STDs can have many harmful effects on a developing fetus, including: • Stillbirth • Low birth weight • Conjunctivitis (an eye infection) • Pneumonia • Neonatal sepsis (a blood infection) • Neurological damage (such as brain damage or motor disorder) • Blindness, deafness, organ damage, or other congenital abnormalities • Acute hepatitis • Meningitis • Cirrhosis These conditions may be present at birth, but symptoms may not be detected for months or even years. Screening and Treatment of STDs Durin
