1.   Congenital syphilis is arbitrarily divided into early and late stages with the dividing line at two years of age.

2.   Congenital syphilis has fallen to the lowest level in a decade.

3.   Congenital syphilis, which is passed from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus, can cause seizures, deafness, developmental delays and bone deformities.

4.   In addition, African-American babies account for nearly two-thirds of all cases of congenital syphilis.

5.   While hospitals substituted more expensive antibiotics for most infections, there was no alternative for infants with congenital syphilis.

6.   Fetal infections, called congenital syphilis, can result in retardation or death.

7.   That, in turn, has led to the sharp drop in congenital syphilis.