Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends early, universal screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy; if an individual is not screened early in pregnancy, the USPSTF recommends screening at the first available opportunity. Untreated syphilis infection during pregnancy can be passed to the fetus, causing congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis is associated with premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, neonatal death, and significant abnormalities in the infant such as deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, brain and nerve problems (e.g., permanent vision or hearing loss), and meningitis. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation is consistent with the 2018 recommendation.

The newly launched Therapeutic and Medical Device Accelerator (the “Accelerator”), at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Technology and Innovation Development Office (TIDO), has announced inaugural awardees for its internal funding program, further expanding the hospital’s translational research services and ensuring that Boston Children’s research discoveries have the greatest impact on patient health.