Syphilis Among Newborns Rising at Alarming Rate

ATLANTA — The number of babies born with syphilis increased 755% between 2012 and 2021, mostly due to lack of timely testing and adequate treatment during pregnancy, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, which was released on Tuesday, found that there were more than 3,700 cases of congenital syphilis in 2022 alone, representing about a 30% increase from the year before.

While health care professionals say syphilis can be effectively treated during pregnancy, the consequences can be severe if it’s not. 

It can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth and infant death.

In 2022, the CDC says, a total 231 stillbirths and 51 infant deaths were reported to the agency.

Even if they do survive, babies with severe infections can suffer from a wide range of disabilities including bone malformations, blindness, deafness and intellectual development delays. 

The report found that more than half of congenital syphilis cases last year were among people who had a positive test, but never received adequate or timely treatment.

Compounding the matter is an ongoing shortage of benzathine penicillin G, the antibiotic used to treat syphilis.

That is particularly galling to caregivers as the success rate of this treatment in preventing congenital syphilis has been reported to be as high as 98%.

Due to the shortage, the CDC is encouraging providers and health departments nationwide to prioritize benzathine penicillin G for the treatment of syphilis in pregnancy.

To reduce perinatal transmission, the CDC recommends screening for syphilis during pregnancy at the first prenatal care visit. 

Where access to prenatal care is not optimal, screening and treatment (if indicated) should be performed as soon as pregnancy is identified.

The CDC recommends screening at 28 weeks’ gestation and at delivery for those who live in communities with high rates of syphilis; are at high risk for syphilis acquisition during pregnancy (for example, substance use or a new sex partner); were not previously tested during the pregnancy.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue