Syphilis cases on the rise, says state DOH
Amid an alarming rise in syphilis cases in Hawaii, the state Department of Health is urging health care providers to increase screenings for the disease, particularly among women who may become pregnant or are already pregnant in order to prevent the disease from being spread to their babies.
“Syphilis can have severe health impacts, especially for developing babies, including increased risk of stillbirth or death shortly after birth,” said Dr. Diana Felton, chief of DOH’s Communicable Disease and Public Health Nursing Division, in a news release. “The devastating effects of untreated syphilis are preventable if infections are detected early and treatment is initiated promptly.”
As many as 40% of babies born to women with untreated syphilis are stillborn or die from the infection as a newborn, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Opens in a new tab. Babies can also be born with a range of serious health problems, such as physical deformities, nerve damage causing blindness or deafness, severe anemia and meningitis.
Felton said that DOH is now recommending pregnant women be screened three times: as early as possible during their first trimester; between 28-32 weeks; and when they deliver their baby.
She stressed that sexual partners should also be treated to prevent reinfection.
Syphilis cases in Hawaii have increased more than tenfold over the past decade and that’s been translating into more pregnant women and babies being infected.
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Hawaii also has one of the worst rates of women forgoing early prenatal care, increasing the risk of congenital infections. In recent years, about 1 in 9 infants in Hawaii was born to a mother who either didn’t begin receiving pregnancy care until her third trimester or received no prenatal care at all, according to government data Opens in a new tab.
Statewide, the number of babies born with congenital syphilis ranged from zero to four cases per year from 2000 to 2019, according to DOH. This rose to 12 cases in 2020 and 20 cases in 2021. Early data indicates that there were at least 22 cases in 2022.
DOH said that most cases of congenital syphilis have been reported in women who received late or no prenatal care. In response, it’s urging health care providers to screen for the disease in other settings, including emergency room and urgent care visits and primary care clinics.
