STDs can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby before, during, or after the baby’s birth. Some STDs such as Syphilis infect the baby while it still in the womb. Other STDs such as Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Hepatitis B, and Genital Herpes can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during delivery. HIV can infect the baby during pregnancy, during delivery, and through breastfeeding.
The harmful effects of STDs in babies may include stillbirth, low birth weight, eye infection, pneumonia, blindness, deafness, acute hepatitis, meningitis, and cirrhosis. Most of these problems can be prevented if the mother receives screening tests for STDs starting early in pregnancy and repeated close to delivery. It is recommended that all pregnant women be screened for STDs as a precaution.
Source: Centers for Disease Control