Vital Signs: Missed Opportunities for Preventing Congenital Syphilis

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Since 2012, U.S. congenital syphilis cases increased substantially. Syphilis during pregnancy can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, infant death, and maternal and infant morbidity, which are preventable through appropriate screening and treatment.

What is added by this report?

In 2022, lack of timely testing and adequate treatment contributed to almost 90% of congenital syphilis cases in the United States, including substantial proportions of congenital syphilis cases in all U.S. Census Bureau regions and among all racial and ethnic groups.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Implementing tailored strategies addressing missed opportunities at the local and national levels could improve timeliness of testing and appropriateness of treatment for syphilis during pregnancy and thereby reduce the incidence of congenital syphilis and complications of syphilis during pregnancy.