In the UK, diagnosis of syphilis among women of child-bearing age has more than doubled between 1999 and 2007, and each year, around ten cases of congenital syphilis have been reported. Doctors should, therefore, be aware of the potential presentation of congenital syphilis, a deadly disease yet curable when managed correctly. We present a rare case of a premature neonate of 29 weeks displaying manifold clinical signs of congenital syphilis acutely after delivery, including coagulopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, intraventricular ischaemic lesions and metaphyseal bone changes, not previously described in the literature at this age in the UK.

The 2004 NICE technology appraisal defined new standards for the use of newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in children.The aim of this audit was to identify the level of compliance with the NICE guidelines in an epilepsy clinic at a district general hospital in East Kent.The reason why a child was started on a particular AED, the efficacy of the drug of choice and whether the child had appropriate specialist reviews were investigated. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd