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Babies born with syphilis in Maricopa County at much higher rate than US average, officials say

Congenital syphilis rates in Arizona's largest county have more than doubled in the last two years, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health says.

PHOENIX — Health officials in Arizona's largest county say that babies are being born with syphilis at a rate that is almost 60 percent higher than the national average.

According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the county's congenital syphilis rate has more than doubled in the last two years.

Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy. Health officials say it is preventable, treatable and curable.

RELATED: Syphilis is an epidemic in Arizona, health officials say

Thirty babies in Maricopa County were born with syphilis in 2018. Officials say five of those babies died from the disease.

According to a news release from the department of public health, congenital syphilis can cause:

  • Miscarriage
  • Stillbirth 
  • Prematurity 
  • Low birth weight 
  • Death shortly after birth

And babies born with congenital syphilis may have: 

  • Deformed bones
  • Severe anemia 
  • Enlarged live and spleen
  • Jaundice
  • Brain and nerve problems like blindness and deafness
  • Meningitis 
  • Skin rash

“The increase in congenital syphilis rates is directly attributed to an increase in syphilis among both men and women and a failure to screen for syphilis during pregnancy,” Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for Disease Control at Maricopa County Public Health, said in the news release.

State law requires health providers to test all pregnant women for syphilis during their first prenatal care visit. Due to the continued increase of congenital syphilis, however, Maricopa County health officials are asking providers to test pregnant patients in their third trimester and again at delivery. 

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