Congenital Syphilis in Texas Section 5 - Maternal Demographics for Women Delivering Infants with Congenital Syphilis
Race/Ethnicity
Among the 367 infants reported with CS in 2018, almost nine out of 10 were born to Hispanic (45 percent) and Black (44 percent) Texas women (Figure 9). For rates of deliveries by mother’s race and ethnicity, Black women had the highest rate at 340.9 cases per 100,000 live births followed by Hispanic women with a rate of 86.9 cases per 100,000 live births (Figure 10).
Figure 9: Percentage CS cases by the race/ethnicity of the mother, Texas 2018 
Figure 10: CS rates in infants by the race/ethnicity of the mother, Texas 2018
*Rates based on 2015 birth data. Rates are per 100,000 live births. Excludes Other/Unknown race.
Maternal Age at Delivery of an Infant with Congenital Syphilis
At the time of delivery, about half of the mothers were 25-34 years old. Almost all the mothers were 34 years old or younger.
Figure 11: Age of mothers of infants with CS at the time of delivery, Texas 2018
Facility of Maternal Syphilis Diagnosis
About seven out of 10 women delivering an infant with CS were diagnosed with syphilis at an inpatient hospital, private physician’s office, or obstetrics and gynecology/prenatal clinic.
Table 1: Facility of maternal syphilis diagnosis in women delivering an infant with CS, Texas 2018
|
Facility Type |
Percentage |
|---|---|
|
Hospital Inpatient |
31% |
|
Private Physician Office/Primary Care Clinic |
23% |
|
Obstetrics and Gynecology/Prenatal Clinic |
16% |
|
STD Clinic |
8% |
|
Family Planning Clinic |
2% |
|
Specialty Clinic/Hospital Clinic |
2% |
|
Correctional Facility |
2% |
|
Blood Bank, Plasma Center |
2% |
|
HIV Counseling and Testing Site |
1% |
|
Laboratory |
1% |
|
Community Health Center |
1% |
|
Health Department |
1% |
|
Emergency Room\Urgent Care |
1% |
|
Home Health Agency |
<1% |
|
Other/Unknown |
9% |
Maternal Syphilis Stage at Diagnosis
Identification of the maternal syphilis stage is important in determining the treatment regimen for syphilis. Almost three out of five mothers were diagnosed with syphilis of unknown or late duration. Pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis of unknown or late duration require three treatments of Benzathine Penicillin G given one week apart. Failure to complete this therapy appropriately will result in a report of a probable CS case.
Figure 12: Percentage of CS cases by maternal syphilis stage at diagnosis, Texas 2018 
Congenital Syphilis in Texas
Table of Contents | Executive Summary | About this Report | Understanding Syphilis | An Overview of Congenital Syphilis and Syphilis in Women of Childbearing Age in Texas | Maternal Demographics for Women Delivering Infants with Congenital Syphilis | Barriers to Care | Birth Outcomes Associated with Congenital Syphilis | Congenital Syphilis Cascade