The number of infants in Mississippi being treated for congenital syphilis, a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, has risen by more than 900% since 2016.
In 2021, 102 infants were treated for the sexually transmitted disease in the state, an increase from the 10 in 2016, a period in which the state has topped the country for the highest infant mortality rate, according to hospital bill data obtained by NBC News from Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the medical director for the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Crossroads Clinic.
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“We need doctors, patients, insurance (Medicaid) and public health to work together. This is a simple problem to eradicate — if we so chose. Early testing/treatment/prenatal care,” tweeted Dobbs, who is the former state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health named in the Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case.
In 2020, 70% of congenital syphilis cases in the state were among black infants.
The troubling rise in cases of congenital syphilis in recent years has been observed nationwide. In 2017, 941 infants were born infected with the disease, but by 2021, cases had more than doubled to 2,677, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reported cases of other sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea, have also risen.
Pregnant women are typically tested for syphilis during their first prenatal visit, and those diagnosed can be treated and cured with antibiotics. Congenital syphilis can have life-threatening effects on a baby’s health if left untreated, such as severe anemia, brain and nerve problems, or even death.
Mississippi has had the country’s highest infant mortality rate for several years. In 2020, the state had an infant mortality rate of 8.12 per 1,000 live births, considerably higher than the national average of 5.42, according to data from the CDC. Black infants accounted for the most deaths in 2020 and were nearly twice as likely to die in the state that year than white infants.
The state’s health department has suggested that improving maternal health and increasing breastfeeding rates improve infant mortality rates.
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“Women need access to preventive wellness care and reproductive care prior to pregnancy to effectively reduce risks that can lead to preterm birth or pregnancy complications,” the state’s infant mortality report from 2019 and 2020 reads. “Lack of medical insurance before and after pregnancy for uninsured or underinsured women or those eligible for Medicaid, limit the ability to receive care for chronic medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes that can lead to poor infant outcomes.”
The Mississippi State Department of Health did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
