United States: The health authorities of the United States have sounded alarm as the concerns have heightened about the increased cases linked to Syphilis. According to health experts, the number of cases has witnessed a record-high upsurge, and the highest number of infections have been found of congenital Syphilis, an infection passed on from mothers to babies during pregnancy.
As per the stats shared by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, the majority of the cases have been associated with congenital Syphilis.
After witnessing the increase in cases, the ACOG issued guidelines to address doctors and healthcare professionals who provide care to pregnant women and conduct proper and regular testing. The statement was shared on April 18.
Christopher Zahn of ACOG addressed the concern and mentioned, “There has been a nearly eightfold increase in congenital syphilis cases in the last decade or more.”
Congenital Syphilis and its effects!
In accordance with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, congenital Syphilis carries the potential for fetal demise, stillbirth, or subsequent severe health complications postpartum. The CDC underscores that newborns may exhibit abnormalities in bone structure alongside neurological impairments.
Syphilis, a bacterial infection primarily transmitted through intimate contact with a lesion, has the capacity, when untreated, to assail bodily organs and the nervous system, culminating in sensory impairments like visual and auditory deficits, according to bradenton.com.
Moreover, individuals afflicted with Syphilis can transmit the pathogen to their offspring during gestation.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advocated for universal syphilis screenings, employing serological testing thrice during pregnancy.
This recent directive represented a significant departure from prior recommendations, which advocated for targeted screenings, particularly among populations residing in locales with heightened disease prevalence.
“ACOG’s new guidance will no longer follow an individualized risk-based approach to testing later in pregnancy and instead help ensure more opportunities for testing and treatment,” Zahn said, as per bradenton.com.
The experts have also highlighted that the major reason behind the approach is that a national wave of congenital Syphilis can be avoided.
“Congenital Syphilis can have devastating effects. We know that a majority of cases can be prevented, so additional routine screening during pregnancy is one important step that clinicians can take that could potentially be lifesaving,” Zahn added.