Cases of syphilis in pregnant women have TRIPLED since 2016, putting babies at 40% risk of DEATH, CDC report shows…these are the hardest-hit states

The number of cases of the most dangerous form of syphilis has tripled since 2016, health officials have warned.

New CDC data shows that 280.4 pregnant women per 100,000 births tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease in 2022, compared to 87.2 per 100,000 births in 2016.

Of particular concern is the risk of congenital syphilis – a preventable but serious condition that occurs when a woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy. About 40 percent of babies born to women with untreated syphilis are stillborn or die as newborns from the infection.

The risk of premature birth and birth defects, including bone damage, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, nerve problems causing blindness or deafness, meningitis or skin rashes, is also higher.

It comes amid a nationwide outbreak of syphilis and other STDs such as chlamydia, which has been blamed on cregular hookups and the ‘explosion’ in popularity of dating apps such as Hinge and Bumble.

At the same time, rates of premature birth and birth defects have all increased in recent years, baffling doctors.

Syphilis rates rose more than 400 percent in six states: New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, South Dakota, Montana and Alaska

More than 10,000 women who gave birth in 2022 had syphilis, a sharp increase from 3,400 in 2016, meaning there was one case of syphilis in the mother for every 357 births.

Nationally, there were 3,755 cases of congenital syphilis in 2022 – a tenfold increase from a decade earlier and a 31 percent increase year-on-year.

This caused 282 stillbirths and infant deaths in 2022.

The CDC report also showed that the number of cases of syphilis in women of childbearing age and congenital syphilis – a preventable but serious condition that occurs when a woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy – increased by more than 250 percent has increased.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria and results in sores around the genitals and mouth.

Syphilis rates rose more than 400 percent in six states: New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, South Dakota, Montana and Alaska.

The state with the biggest change in the rate was South Dakota, where the rate increased 763 percent between 2016 and 2022.

Seven states saw increases of less than 100 percent in syphilis rates: Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Idaho and Utah.

There was no significant change for three states: Maine, Vermont and Wyoming.

A November CDC report attributed the increase in congenital syphilis to a lack of “adequate treatment during pregnancy.”

Between 2017 and 2022, cases of syphilis among women of childbearing age and congenital syphilis – a preventable but serious condition that occurs when a pregnant woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy – increased by more than 250 percent

Dr. Irene Stafford, a maternal-fetal physician at UTHealth Houston, told CNN, “The vast majority of pregnant patients today are simply not tested.

“And even if they get tested, they don’t necessarily get treated in time.”

According to the CDC report, maternal syphilis rates are lowest among women who receive prenatal care in their first trimester.

The figures are highest (almost four times the average) among women who do not receive prenatal care.

Primary syphilis usually starts as an ulcer on the vagina, penis or around the mouth that, even if no medication is used, usually goes away after a few weeks.

It can develop into a rash on the palms and soles of the feet and in most cases can be cured with a single penicillin injection.

Early stage syphilis can be treated with antibiotics.

Secondary syphilis manifests as a rash, lesions and swollen lymph nodes.

In severe cases and if left untreated, syphilis can lead to organ failure, blindness and even death.

Years after exposure, the infection can affect vital organs and the nervous system, possibly causing blindness or dementia, according to the CDC.

Symptoms in pregnant women include sores around the vagina, rash on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, hair loss, muscle aches and fever.

Once infected, anyone can pass on syphilis. It is spread from person to person through direct contact with a painful area and during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Some experts have pointed to a decline in condom use among American men — nearly 30 percent since 2011, according to some studies.