Syphilis cases in US newborns rise 10-fold over a decade
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[November 08, 2023]
By Sriparna Roy
(Reuters) -The number of newborns with syphilis in the United States
surged more than 10-fold in the last decade, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Tuesday.
The agency said 3,761 cases were recorded in 2022, the highest in over
30 years, up from 334 cases in 2012. The 2022 cases included 231
stillbirths and 51 infant deaths.
Nine out of 10 cases might have been prevented with timely testing and
treatment during pregnancy, said Laura Bachmann, chief medical officer
in CDC's Division of STD Prevention.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious
health problems without treatment, and during pregnancy, can lead to
stillbirth, miscarriage, infant death, and maternal and infant
morbidity.
By treating patients quickly, healthcare professionals could reduce some
of the greatest hurdles to the care some mothers need, said Bachmann.
Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the
infection to her baby during pregnancy.
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![](../images/110823PIX/health26.jpg)
A mother holds her baby in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S., April 10, 2020.
REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Nov/08/images/ads/current/peasleymemorials_lda_2022.png) The CDC recommends screening for
syphilis at the first prenatal care visit to reduce perinatal
transmission.
Benzathine penicillin G is the only recommended treatment for
syphilis during pregnancy that must be administered as a single-dose
injection or three doses spaced seven to nine days apart, depending
on the stage of infection, according to the CDC.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; editing by Nancy Lapid and
Shinjini Ganguli)
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