Babies Born With Syphilis in US Doubles in Four Years

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The number of babies born infected with syphilis in the United States has more than doubled since 2013, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a report released Tuesday, the CDC said the number of cases of congenital syphilis, in which the disease is passed from the mother to the baby, increased 153 percent — from 362 in 2013 to 918 in 2017.

"When a baby gets syphilis, it means the system has failed that mother repeatedly, both before and during her pregnancy," said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

"If STD prevention programs had anywhere near the support they need, no new mom would ever have to cope with this devastating diagnosis," he said.

Syphilis is easily treatable with antibiotics. But when untreated in the mother, it increases the risk of miscarriage and newborn death. Children born with the disease can suffer severe health consequences, including deformed bones, blindness or deafness.