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by Countable | Updated on 9.28.18
- Cases of congenital syphilis – when a mother passes syphilis to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth – have more than doubled in the United States since 2013, according to a new report from the Centers for Control and Prevention diseases (CDC).
- Eight out of ten pregnant women with untreated syphilis will pass it on to their baby through the placenta, which could result in the death at birth or death of a newborn in 40% of the pregnancies affected, according to the CDC.
- The number of cases has increased from 362 in 2013 to 918 in 2017. Five states – Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas – account for 70% of cases.
Details
Untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman causes not only an overwhelming infection, but also the death of a fetus during the first month of life, but it can also cause enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, rashes, inflammation of the bones, infections of the brain and eyes a baby.
The CDC recommends that all pregnant women be tested early in pregnancy, and in states with high infection rates, it recommends repeated screening throughout the pregnancy. Penicillin cures the mother and fetus in almost all cases where treatment is given.
According to Dr. Pablo J. Sanchez, Principal Investigator at the Perinatal Research Center of the Research Institute of the National Children's Hospital:
"Every case of congenital syphilis is a failure of our public health and we need to provide all women with timely and adequate prenatal care and appropriate testing so that we can detect all babies and treat them appropriately.
What do you think?
Should the United States provide prenatal health care to pregnant women? Why or why not? Tell your representatives what you think, then share your thoughts below.
-Sara E. Murphy
(Photo credit: iStock.com / Yobro10)
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