Over the past decade, the number of syphilis cases in infants in the United States has increased tenfold, reaching more than 3,700 cases in 2022.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Tuesday that there were 3,761 cases of congenital syphilis last year, an increase of 31.7 percent from 2021 and 10 times as many cases as the 334 reported in 2012.
This increase in cases led to 231 stillbirths and 51 infant deaths last year.
CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry said, “The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has escalated at a heartbreaking rate. New measures are needed to prevent further family tragedies.
“We call on healthcare providers, public health systems and communities to take additional steps to provide mothers and babies with the care they need.”
The CDC attributes the increase in cases to poor access to screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, as well as cuts to public health and sexual health budgets.
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Cases of congenital syphilis were highest in the Black and African-American community, increasing from 362 in 2017 to 885 in 2021.
Between 2017 and 2021, the number of cases of congenital syphilis (CS) nearly tripled, from 941 to 2,855. They continued to rise in 2022; last year there were 3,761 cases
The Department of Health said 88 percent of congenital syphilis cases last year could have been prevented if there had been better access to clinics, antenatal care and treatments.
In the vast majority of congenital syphilis cases, pregnant women were not tested for sexually transmitted diseases and 38 percent of infected pregnant women did not receive prenatal care.
More than half of congenital syphilis cases involve people who tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease during pregnancy but did not receive appropriate or timely treatment.
Congenital syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that occurs when an infected mother passes the sexually transmitted disease to her baby during pregnancy, was nearly eliminated in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, but has resurfaced about a decade ago increase
The increase in sexually transmitted diseases in babies is associated with the increase in syphilis cases in women – between 2021 and 2022, the number of syphilis cases among 15 to 44-year-olds will increase by 17.2 percent.
Congenital syphilis increases a child’s risk of bone damage, anemia, jaundice, nerve damage, and meningitis.
The disease kills about 40 percent of babies born with it, but drug treatment is possible.
Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said, “The congenital syphilis epidemic is an unacceptable American crisis.
“All pregnant mothers – no matter who they are or where they live – deserve access to care that protects them and their babies from preventable diseases.
“Our country must be proactive and think beyond the gynecologist’s practice and close the prevention gaps. “Every encounter a healthcare provider has with a patient during pregnancy is an opportunity to prevent congenital syphilis.”
According to the CDC, one of the biggest risks for syphilis is where a person lives, and according to 2021 data, more than 70 percent of the US population lived in counties thought to have an increased number of STD cases.
Syphilis in women can be treated with the drug Bicillin LA, which can prevent the mother from transmitting the disease to the fetus.
However, there is a nationwide shortage of the drug and manufacturer Pfizer does not expect the shortage to be resolved until 2024, partly responsible for the surge in cases that has dramatically increased demand.
Health advocates called on President Joe Biden last month to declare a public health emergency because of a rise in cases of congenital syphilis.
By declaring a public health emergency, the president can use the Defense Production Act to produce more Bicillin LA.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
