A practical guide to the diagnosis of congenital infections in the newborn infant.

Every attempt should be made to identify an etiologic agent in infants with suspected congenital infection. Some of the infections are treatable, such as herpes simplex, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis. For other infectious agents (i.e., CMV and rubella), close follow-up will enable early detection of hearing impairment and permit early educational intervention. In addition, appropriate isolation measures will reduce the risk of nosocomial infections due to herpes simplex, rubella, hepatitis B, and CMV. Rational use of the available diagnostic tools will enable detection of most symptomatic congenitally infected neonates at a reasonable cost.