Syphilis cases in newborns rising

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Cases of syphilis in newborns have been rising in Bexar County, Texas, said local health officials who recommend third-trimester testing.

Sixteen cases of syphilis in newborns were reported in the county during 2008 and the first six months of 2009, the most recent information available. Two of the babies were stillborn, the San Antonio Express-News reported Monday.

Bexar County's rate of 40.8 cases per 100,000 births topped the 31.8 rate for all of Texas, which was second only to Louisiana in cases of newborns with congenital syphilis, said Domingo Navarro, a spokesman for Bexar's Metropolitan Health District.

Congenital syphilis is preventable with an inexpensive treatment of penicillin, but the costs can become enormous when treating an infected baby, he said.

Many pregnant women who become infected with the sexually transmitted disease have no prenatal care and therefore can't be tested. Other women who are tested in their first trimester of pregnancy should be retested in third trimester to determine if the baby is infected, he said.