ARIZONA NEWS

Maricopa County health staff alarmed by rise in babies born with STD

Feb 20, 2019, 1:00 PM
(AP Photo)...
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)

PHOENIX – The rate of babies born in Maricopa County infected with syphilis has doubled in the past two years, a worrisome trend Arizona health officials want to reverse.

Over two dozen infants born last year had the sexually transmitted disease passed to them in their mothers’ wombs. Of the 30, five died from complications of the infection.

“The increase in congenital syphilis rates is directly attributed to an increase in syphilis among both men and women and a failure to screen for syphilis during pregnancy,” Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, director for Disease Control at Maricopa County Public Health, said in a Wednesday press release.

Arizona’s largest populated county is almost 60 percent higher than the national average for congenital syphilis, department documentation showed.

Congenital syphilis can cause babies to be born with deformed bones, brain and nerve issues, blindness, meningitis and sever anemia, among other health problems.

Arizona law requires testing for syphilis during the mother-to-be’s first prenatal visit or first medical visit of the pregnancy.

Sunenshine said doctors should be more diligent during patient screenings.

“Syphilis can be treated and cured with just penicillin, but you have to know it’s there to treat it,” she said.

The congenital form of the STD can also cause miscarriages, stillbirths, death shortly after delivery and low birth weight.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(El Mirage Police Department Photo)...
KTAR.com

West Valley fugitive who faked death arrested in Indiana

A West Valley fugitive who attempted to fake his death was arrested last week in Indiana, authorities said.
21 hours ago
(Rebecca Sasnett/Arizona Daily Star via AP)...
Associated Press

Report finds UA campus safety gaps after fatal shooting

A report found there were missed opportunities to investigate an expelled University of Arizona student who killed a professor last year.
21 hours ago
(Facebook Photo/Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)...
KTAR.com

MCSO seeking information after multiple people shot at West Valley party

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is seeking information on a West Valley shooting at a party that left multiple people injured.
21 hours ago
(Pixabay Photo)...
Kevin Stone

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes grocery tax ban, signs 9 bills into law

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed two bills Tuesday, including one to ban local grocery taxes, and signed nine others into law.
21 hours ago
(Facebook Photo/Surprise Police Department)...
KTAR.com

Suspect dead following shooting with police in Surprise

A suspect died after being shot by police in the back of a car in Surprise on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
21 hours ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
(Desert Institute for Spine Care photo)...
DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Why DISC is world renowned for back and neck pain treatments

Fifty percent of Americans and 90% of people at least 50 years old have some level of degenerative disc disease.
Maricopa County health staff alarmed by rise in babies born with STD