A pregnant teenager has arrived at a free clinic seeking care. She has had no prenatal care and is ...

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A, B

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There is rapid transplacental transmission of the organism from the mother to the fetus after 16 weeks' gestation, so that active infection in the mother during pregnancy can produce congenital syphilis in the fetus. Untreated syphilis can cause prematurity, stillbirth, and congenital defects and active infection in the infant. Unstable blood glucose levels can occur with diabetic mothers, and many infants have some acrocyanosis immediately following birth. Blindness from syphilis can occur decades after initial infection, so it would not be present at birth.