Shelby County infectious disease experts are concerned about the growing number of babies with congenital syphilis, a preventable infection that can cause serious health issues.
Screening during pregnancy is the key to preventing the spread of syphilis from mother to baby.
“And definitely since the pandemic, we’ve started to see a lot of disruptions in health care for certain populations,” said Hysmith, who’s also an associate professor of Pediatrics at UTHSC College of Medicine. “We’re seeing a lot more congenital syphilis because these moms just aren’t getting treated.”