USA has dramatic increase in childhood syphilis – 11/09/2023 – Health
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Cases of syphilis in newborns have increased tenfold in the United States in the last ten years, health officials warned on Tuesday (7), describing part of a larger problem, which is the increase in sexually transmitted infections in the country. .
More than 3,700 children were born with congenital syphilis in 2022, more than ten times the number recorded in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agency said in a statement.
In nine out of ten cases, the disease could have been prevented with early testing and treatment during pregnancy, according to the CDC.
“The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has skyrocketed at a distressing pace,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry.
Babies develop syphilis in the womb if the mother is infected and left untreated. In a pregnant woman, syphilis can cause miscarriages, death of the newborn, or long-term complications for the baby, such as loss of vision or hearing and bone malformations.
“Syphilis is increasing in all age groups in the United States, including in women of reproductive age and their sexual partners,” Houry said.
Racial minorities face the disease outbreak with less access to testing and treatment.
The CDC has required health care providers to increase screening of pregnant women, including those treated in emergency rooms and substance use programs.
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