Babies born with syphilis has increased drastically over the last five years. This comes as a concern for healthcare professionals in the United States given that other congenital diseases are regularly being treated as part of prenatal care and on the decline. However, with rates of syphilis continuing to climb without treatment during pregnancy, the healthcare community is calling the current rates of congenital syphilis a "public health failure," per the Insider.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of deaths attributed to congenital syphilis has continued to rise over the past five years. This is a concerning trend given that syphilis is a very treatable disease when diagnosed early. As such, according to the Insider, the rise in cases is likely connected to many in the United States not having access to healthcare coverage.

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Syphilis is an infection that is spread by sexual contact, according to the Mayo Clinic. While it can begin as a "painless sore," according to the publication, the bacterial infection can easily rage out of control if left untreated. Complications from the disease include damage to the heart or brain and in some cases, be life-threatening.

In the case of congenital syphilis, the infection is passed from mother to baby. While some babies survive contracting syphilis and can receive treatment after birth, others are not so lucky.

According to Meaww, the risks of "miscarriage, stillbirth or your newborn's death within a few days after birth," are increased when a pregnant woman has syphilis. The risk is so great, that according to Insider that, "40 percent of babies born with congenital syphilis may be stillborn or die."

In the early 2000s, the number of congenital syphilis cases seen by healthcare professionals was a few per year, according to KHN. Then, as the decades progressed, the numbers seen by those in the medical field did as well.

According to the Insider, in 2013, congenital syphilis occurred 9.2 times out of every 100,000 births. The numbers steadily climbed over the years and in 2019, 48.5 out of every 100,000 babies were diagnosed with the disease.

Further still, according to Outbreak News Today, the number of newborns diagnosed with congenital syphilis quadrupled from 2015 to 2019.

Healthcare professionals are surprised by the continued uptick in cases given that other congenital cases have been on the decline for years. More concerning still, while treating syphilis is easy to do, many pregnant women are not receiving the treatment.

One conclusion, according to the Insider, that many have come to regarding this is that because many who contract syphilis use illicit drugs, they do not want to be seen by doctors. This is out of fear of getting in trouble for drug use.

Other thoughts, according to the World Health Organization, is that without access to healthcare, which impacts minorities most often, syphilis often goes undiagnosed.

The best way to prevent congenital syphilis is the early detection of syphilis in expecting women. However, until more mothers choose to see, or have access to healthcare professionals early in their pregnancy to be screened for syphilis, more cases will continue to rise for years to come.

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Source: Insider, KHN, WHO, Meaww, Outbreak News Daily, Mayo Clinic