Clinical Value of the IgM FTA‐ABS Test for Congenital Syphilis in the Newborn

Summary: A serological study was undertaken of 63 newborn babies in whom the diagnosis of congenital syphilis had to be considered. The mothers of 58 of the babies had been adequately treated for syphilis: the IgM FTA-ABS test was non-reactive in the sera of 57 of these babies, and reactive in 1 (a false positive result). The sera of 5 babies gave reactive IgM FTA-ABS test results: the mothers of these babies were found to have untreated secondary syphilis. It is advisable for the IgM FTA-ABS test to be carried out at monthly intervals for 3 months on all babies whose serological tests for syphilis are reactive at birth. This is to ensure that the delayed onset of congenital syphilis is not missed when a non-reactive IgM FTA-ABS test at birth becomes reactive at a later date.