Babies Born with STDs Statistics & FAQs

Babies Born with STDs Statistics & FAQs

When it comes to the health of your child, you can’t be too careful. The good news is, relatively few babies are born with STDs thanks to modern testing, screening, and treatment methods. However, some children are born with STDs, and STDs do affect a number of pregnancies every year. And it’s important for all expecting mothers to know if they’re at risk for passing an STD to their newborn. Here is a quick look at some FAQs about STDs and childbirth, babies born with STDs statistics, and everything else an expecting mom needs to know:

STD Statistics Among Infants

STDs can cause complications during pregnancy including stillbirths, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other issues. Fortunately, STD rates among infants are relatively low. 

• Between 2010-2015 the CDC reported 563 cases of infants born with chlamydia or gonorrhea based in the eye.
• In 2016 syphilis affected just over 600 births.
• On average, fewer than 200 babies are born in the US with HIV each year.
• Over the course of a four-year study, HSV (herpes) occurred in infants at an average rate of 13 per every 100,000 births.

STD Testing During Pregnancy

In an ideal world, no mother would have to worry about STDs threatening her pregnancy. One day, we hope to make that dream a reality. As it stands currently, most medical professionals will screen expecting mothers for STDs at least once during their pregnancy. The truth is though, once isn’t always enough. Remember, you can get an STD during pregnancy just like anyone else. And having unprotected sex does increase the risk of STD transmission. With that in mind, it’s critical for all pregnant women to get tested for STDs as often as they need to during their gestation period.

STD Treatment: In the Womb & Out

The main reason why STD tests during pregnancy are so critical is so that doctors can administer treatment to cure or manage any STDs within the mother’s system. Depending on the type of infection, babies might not face any real risk until they enter the birth canal. (This is one reason why doctors may choose to perform a C-section with women who have herpes.) On the other hand, STDs like syphilis and HIV can affect the fetus in the womb, which makes the need for quick treatment even greater.

Once out of the womb, a baby born with an STD may have to deal with a number of issues from eye infections, to pneumonia, to complications within internal organs.