American health authorities on Tuesday called for a general mobilization amid a rise in syphilis cases among newborns, which have more than doubled in a decade.
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Syphilis occurs in infants when the mother herself is infected and left untreated. In a pregnant woman, syphilis can cause miscarriage, death of the newborn, or long-term complications for the baby, such as: B. Loss of vision or hearing or even bone malformations.
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S.’s main federal health agency, more than 3,700 babies will be born with syphilis in the U.S. in 2022, more than 10 times more than in 2012.
However, 9 out of 10 cases could have been avoided thanks to timely screening and treatment during pregnancy, the agency emphasizes.
“The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has reached heartbreaking proportions,” Debra Houry, a senior CDC official, said in a statement.
“The epidemic of sexually transmitted infections continues to grow in our country,” she added during a press conference. Syphilis cases are increasing “in all age groups, including among women of childbearing age and their sexual partners.”
The CDC notes that Black, Native American or Hispanic babies were also up to eight times more likely to be born with syphilis in 2021 than babies with white mothers. A finding the agency attributes to “decades of deep-rooted social determinants” that result in further barriers to accessing health care.
Health authorities say the lack of testing and treatment is due to a combination of individual and systemic factors.
“Barriers can include lack of health insurance, living in a desert without medical or gynecological care, difficulty accessing transportation, difficulty using drugs, unstable housing, poverty and racism,” said Laura Bachmann, director of the CDC Division of Prevention sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The agency therefore calls on health professionals to take every opportunity to examine pregnant women, even if they are being examined by emergency services or even programs related to drug use.
The CDC also recommends that treatment be initiated as soon as a pregnant woman has a positive rapid test, although it still needs to be confirmed.