Children born with syphilis

FOUR children in the last three years were born here with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease they inherited from their mothers.

Director of the National Disease Surveillance Centre, Dr Darina O’Flanagan, said inherited sexually transmitted disease was a rarity in Ireland and she never came across a child with congenital syphilis when a young doctor.

At the launch of the NDSC’s 2002 report, Dr O’Flanagan expressed particular concern about the increase in both syphilis and gonorrhoea, two “Victorian” diseases she once thought were consigned to history.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been rising steadily since 1994, increasing by over 100% in 1995-2001 and 1995-2001 and over 300% between 1989 and 2001.

Syphilis cases increased dramatically in Ireland in early 2000 and an outbreak of the disease among gay men in Dublin peaked in July 2001. A high level of endemic syphilis remains since the outbreak. It is still at a higher background then before 1999.

A total of 69,003 STIs have been reported to the NDSC since 1989. The number of children born with syphilis in Ireland diminished in the past 25 years but is beginning to increase again.

Syphilis, infectious hepatitis B, genital herpes simplex, Chlamydia, trachomatis and gonorrhoea recorded the highest increases.

Dr O’Flanaghan said young people appeared to be unaware that they were putting their health at risk by having unprotected sex.

“I would urge young people to be aware of the potential dangers and to make sure they are protected,” she said.

Dr O’Flanagan said the STI problem was shared across Europe and tended to be concentrated in capital cities.

“We are now living in a global village and our children are travelling freely within it. We know they are taking risks with their health, not just from the statistics, but from the pressure STI clinics are under in trying to cope with those who become infected.”