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CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB 

 

A CDC analysis of mother-to-child syphilis transmission (congenital syphilis) finds that while the number of congenital syphilis (CS) infections remains relatively small, concerning increases occurred between 2005 and 2008.  CS rate increases were primarily found among infants born in the South (9.6 per 100,000 in 2005 to 15.7 in 2008).  CS rate increases were also seen in the United States among infants born to white and African-American women.  Between 2005 and 2008, rates among infants born to white women more than doubled (1.3 to 2.8), and rates among black women increased more than 30 percent (26.6 to 34.6).  No clear increases were observed for the same time period among infants born to Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander (API), and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIN) women.  In 2008, the CS rate for infants born to Hispanic women was 12.8, the CS rate for infants born to API women was 3.0, and the rate for infants born to AIN women was 14.0.  While the number of CS cases reported nationally remains relatively low (431 in 2008), recent CS rate increases underscore the importance of early prenatal care and syphilis testing for pregnant women.  CS can result in neurologic impairment and infant death, but it is preventable with early prenatal diagnosis and treatment. 

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