Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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TUESDAY, Feb. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of maternal syphilis has tripled in recent years, putting thousands of newborns at risk of infection, the U.S. government says in a new study. This was revealed in a report.
If left untreated, syphilis can damage the heart and brain and cause blindness, hearing loss, and paralysis. Infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, lifelong medical problems, and infant death.
In a new report released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data shows that more than 10,000 women will be infected with syphilis after giving birth in 2022, up from about 3,400 in 2016. Ta.
Not surprisingly, with the rapid increase in maternal syphilis, there has also been an alarming increase in neonatal syphilis cases. For these infants, syphilis can be a severely disabling and even life-threatening infection.
Another recent CDC report found that nearly 3,800 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022. Between 2012 and 2021, the number of infections increased by 755%, the report said.
The surge in congenital syphilis is “a direct result of untested and untreated mothers,” said Dr. Eileen Stafford, a maternal-fetal medicine physician at UT Health Houston. CNN. The disease is “particularly virulent and highly contagious, especially to the unborn child, and infection rates are skyrocketing.”
The CDC report states that the majority of congenital syphilis cases could have been prevented with better testing and treatment.
But experts say there is a lack of access to testing and treatment.
“The vast majority of pregnant patients these days just don’t get tested. And even if they do get tested, they don’t necessarily get treatment in a timely manner,” Stafford said.
Limited clinic hours make it difficult for pregnant women to receive treatment, with priority given to more advanced tests that can take several days to produce results and require repeat visits. He noted that testing is often prioritized.
Maternal syphilis prevalence was highest among mothers younger than 25 years. Race and ethnicity also played a role. The incidence rate among American Indian women who gave birth was five times the average, and the incidence rate among black and Native Hawaiian women was more than twice the national average.
This surge is widespread across the country, with maternal syphilis rates more than doubling in 40 states between 2016 and 2022. South Dakota was one of six states where the infection rate increased by more than 400%, and Maine was one of three states where the infection rate increased by more than 400%. Although no significant increase was observed during this period, CNN report.
The Biden administration recently announced the creation of a federal task force to tackle this issue.
“The syphilis crisis in our country is unacceptable. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to taking all steps to address this urgent problem and eliminate disparities in our health care system,” said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. said in a news release from the government agency announcing the creation of the task force. “These actions we are taking will help ensure improved outcomes for birthing parents and newborns. We must prevent further deaths from congenital syphilis, a completely preventable disease. It won’t.”
The Biden administration also decided to temporarily allow imports of alternative syphilis treatments as shortages of front-line treatments for the disease continue. Experts worry that it is not enough.
“We have a huge challenge ahead of us, but there are also signs of hope that we can take some action,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. CNN. “The bad news is there is no sign that any new resources or capital will be brought to the table. And no new resources means that we will not succeed in bringing this rate down at the end of the day. ”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about syphilis.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief “Trends and Characteristics of Maternal Syphilis Prevalence During Pregnancy: United States, 2016-2022,” February 13, 2024. CNN, February 13, 2024
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