What is congenital syphilis? Understanding symptoms as cases rise in the US

Congenital syphilis is a potentially fatal illness that develops when an infected pregnant individual transfers the virus to their fetus.

Between January 1 and September 1 of this year, there were five stillbirths or neonatal deaths in babies with congenital syphilis, according to a Nov. 13 announcement from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Not only in North Carolina, Mississippi has also reported a 1000% rise in cases of congenital syphilis from 2016 to 2022. The number of kids born with congenital syphilis increased by 32% countrywide between 2021 and 2022, according to a report released last week by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

As per the CDC, the rise was the largest in thirty years and ten times greater than ten years earlier. In Pennsylvania, 13 cases were confirmed last year. There are 22, as of this writing, with one and a half months remaining in the calendar year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Congenital syphilis cases increased to 84 in Illinois last year from 50 in 2021 and 29 in 2020, according to the state's Department of Public Health. All these figures have alarmed the country because 40% of babies, who get infected in the womb, die before birth, as per the joint study conducted by the Mississippi Department of Health and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

---

What is the main cause of congenital syphilis?

Syphilis can be transferred from a pregnant woman to an unborn child. (Image via Unsplash/ Michal Bar Haim)

Congenital syphilis is mostly caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria, which is passed from an infected pregnant mother to her unborn child during pregnancy or childbirth. This bacterium is the source of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) syphilis.

When the bacteria penetrate the placenta and infect the growing fetus, it can cause syphilis to spread from mother to child. Furthermore, if the mother has an active syphilitic lesion (such as a chancre) in the birth canal, the infant may get syphilis during labor.

When a mother has untreated or insufficiently treated syphilis throughout her pregnancy, there is an increased chance of syphilis transmission to the unborn child. Prenatal care is therefore crucial for preventing syphilis in the unborn child, and this includes routine screening and timely treatment of syphilis in expectant mothers.

---

Is congenital syphilis treatable?

Syphilis is treatable with proper care. (Image via Unsplash/ Isaac Quesada)

Congenital syphilis is treatable, and the health of the infected newborn depends on receiving treatment as soon as possible. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, with penicillin being the most recommended and successful type. The infant's age and the severity of the infection will determine the exact antibiotic regimen and how long it will last.

The goal of treatment is to get rid of the syphilis-causing bacterium, Treponema pallidum, and stop the illness from getting worse. In order to optimize therapy efficacy and reduce the likelihood of problems, it is imperative to commence treatment as soon as feasible.

The CDC states that although the illness is treatable, there may be long-term consequences. Additionally, according to the government, earlier testing may have prevented most of the cases.

---

What could be done?

Since syphilis is an STI, it is advised to practice safe sexual intercourse. For high-risk pregnant women, the CDC advises testing for syphilis during the initial prenatal care visit, as well as at 28 weeks of pregnancy and during delivery.

In addition, the CDC advises syphilis screening for all sexually active individuals in areas where the disease is common or for those whose sexual behaviors raise their risk of contracting STDs.

Treat yourself right away if your test results are positive. Discuss treatment options with the primary care physician in your area.