As cases of syphilis increase among newborns in the US, a group of doctors recommends more tests during pregnancy

With cases of syphilis in newborns skyrocketing in the US, a group of doctors is now recommending that all pregnant patients be tested three times to detect the sexually transmitted infection.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new guidance Thursday saying screening should be done at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester and at birth. Although screening is not mandatory, healthcare professionals generally follow the group’s recommendations.

“Cases of congenital syphilis are definitely on the rise, and have been rising over the last 10 years. And it’s completely preventable… It’s unacceptable,” said Dr. Laura Riley, who chairs the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine and helped with guidance.

Previously, the group recommended a test in the third trimester — but only for women considered at risk of contracting syphilis during pregnancy or those who live in communities with high rates of the disease. But this risk-based approach is “how we get into trouble because we lose cases,” Riley said.

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 3,700 babies will be born with congenital syphilis in 2022, the highest number in more than 30 years. US health authorities have called for increased prevention, including screening through blood tests.

In its statement, the OB-GYN group said CDC statistics show that nearly 9 in 10 cases of congenital syphilis that year “could have been prevented with timely screening and treatment.”

Infections during pregnancy are usually treated with at least two doses of penicillin. Babies born to women with untreated syphilis may be stillborn or die soon after birth. The disease can also cause other problems in newborns, such as deformed bones, severe anemia, blindness or deafness.

“I hope everyone takes this seriously,” Riley said. Children with congenital syphilis can have birth defects that can be devastating – “which is incredibly sad.”

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