Congenital syphilis, which is passed from a syphilis-infected mother to her unborn child, is a senseless tragedy endangering the lives of newborn babies. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report that shows a sharp increase in the number of babies born with syphilis in the United States.
Key findings:
- After four years of decline, congenital syphilis rates increased by 38% from 2012-2014.
- Of 458 congenital syphilis cases in 2014, 22% of mothers received no prenatal care.
The resurgence in cases points toward missed opportunities to screen and treat pregnant women for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as a need to ensure women receive adequate access to prenatal care services. To prevent congenital syphilis, CDC recommends that health care providers test all women for syphilis during the first trimester or first prenatal visit.
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Increase in incidence of congenital syphilis – United States, 2008-2014
New surveillance data assessing recent trends in congenital syphilis (CS) show sharp increases in reported cases between 2012 and 2014. After a period of decline from 2008 to 2012 when the overall rate of reported CS decreased from 10.5 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 live births, rates increased by 38 percent from 2012 to 2014 (total cases increased from 334 to 458 cases). This increase parallels a national increase in primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among women during the same time period (22 percent increase during 2012-2014). The resurgence of CS points to numerous missed opportunities to prevent mother-to-infant transmission. Of 458 CS cases in 2014, 22 percent of mothers received no prenatal care. Of women with at least one prenatal visit, 43 percent received no treatment for syphilis – although nearly half of these women were positively diagnosed – and 15 percent of mothers were never tested for syphilis during their pregnancy. A child born with syphilis may face major health problems, or even death. In 2014, 25 infants were stillborn and eight infants died within 30 days of delivery as a result of CS. Protecting newborns from CS requires addressing barriers to obtaining quality prenatal care, including STD screening. Additionally, timely reporting of CS and syphilis cases among women of reproductive age, instituting more thorough prenatal screening practices when warranted, and ensuring timely and appropriate treatment of identified cases are vital measures needed to prevent CS.
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