The New Mexico Department of Health said that so far this year, eight miscarriages or stillbirths related to the condition have been reported. (Photo by Getty Images)
The New Mexico Department of Health is increasing testing for syphilis across the state, as more babies are born with the condition.
The department has renewed and updated a public health order issued a year ago, directing medical professionals to increase syphilis testing to everyone aged 18 to 50 across the state, and to test pregnant people three times during their pregnancy.
Syphilis can lead to miscarriages, birth defects and infant mortality. The Department of Health said in a statement that so far this year, eight miscarriages or stillbirths related to the condition have been reported.
The CDC has reported cases of syphilis increasing nationwide for several years, and New Mexico ranks second in the nation in syphilis rates.
Last year, the state Department of Health reported 76 cases of congenital syphilis, which is when the condition is passed to a baby during pregnancy.
Health Secretary Patrick Allen said in a statement, “babies are dying, and we cannot stand idly by.”
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site.
Related News
