Ten times as many babies were born with syphilis in the United States in 2022 than in 2012. For nine in ten cases, timely testing and treatment during pregnancy might have prevented the transmission of a potentially deadly disease to newborns.
To combat the exponential rise in cases of congenital syphilis – a bacterial infection spread through sexual contact and to fetuses of mothers who have it – the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs has been awarded $225,000 by the Baltimore City Health Department.
The Thrive by Three initiative is designed to ensure community members receive clear and consistent messaging around the rise in congenital syphilis, the risks associated, and how to get tested and treated. Up to 40 percent of babies born with syphilis will die from it, and it can also cause lifelong health problems if left untreated.
In Baltimore, the rate for congenital syphilis increased from 62 to 273.8 per 100,000 live births between 1993 and 2022.
CCP will disseminate materials to obstetricians and gynecologists across the city and community organizations who serve pregnant people, people at higher risk of congenital syphilis and those who may need assistance connecting to care. The key message will be that screening pregnant women for syphilis is key, because if the infection can be caught before a woman gives birth, there is a high likelihood that treatment can keep the infection from spreading to the child.
Some medical doctors are overlooking syphilis treatment while as many as 40 percent of women don’t get prenatal care, where most testing occurs.
“We will be bringing awareness about the issue to Baltimore, both to people who are pregnant and their partners who likely also need treatment, as well as to providers to help improve counseling and testing,” says CCP’s August Summers, who leads the center’s domestic work. “There is a possibility of infant death, and that’s really what we want to prevent above all else.”
The new award dovetails with other CCP work funded by the health department, including B’more for Healthy Babies and UChoose, which helps young people educate their peers about sexual and reproductive health Through partnerships, B’more for Healthy Babies has successfully reduced the infant mortality rate in the city.
“Increasing rates of syphilis among babies reflect a failure of the U.S. health system,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Testing for and treating syphilis during pregnancy more than 30 days before delivery can prevent this infection in newborns. Too many people are not being tested and treated early enough during pregnancy.”
