Ohio, US reports rise in Syphilis cases in babies

DAYTON — A new warning is being issued about an alarming rise in dangerous infections in babies.

In Ohio, cases of Congenital Syphilis are five times what they were just four years ago, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.

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A “dire” rise in the disease was reported nationally last year, when the United States recorded a 30-year high in the number of reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More than 3,700 babies were born with Syphilis in the United States last year.

“The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has skyrocketed at a heartbreaking rate,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry said in a news release on Tuesday.

The infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, and even death shortly after birth. The disease can be prevented, according to Dr. Asma Chattha with the Mayo Clinic.

“Knowing that a woman has Syphilis is the first step toward treatment. It is an easily treated infection, but universal screening is essential,” Chattha said.

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A simple blood test can screen for Syphilis, but it should be done early, like at the first prenatal doctor’s visit. Some women should be tested twice.

“In higher-risk populations, we should probably be rescreening pregnant women again in the third trimester to make sure the infection didn’t occur later in pregnancy,” Chattha said.

Some public health leaders believe budget cuts to state health departments and a shortage of the only drug approved to treat Syphilis in pregnancy are undercutting the effort to curb the rising cases.

“It’s very important that regardless of their ability to afford prenatal care or not, all women in the children, particularly the ones who are pregnant, are receiving universal access,” Chattha said.

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