At least three babies have died of presumed congenital syphilis in New York state this year, prompting health officials to warn about the risks of the preventable infection.

A pregnant woman can pass syphilis , a sexually transmitted infection, to her fetus. Left untreated, congenital syphilis can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, skeletal abnormalities, neurological problems, developmental delays, stillbirth or infant death shortly after birth. 3

“Detecting syphilis early in pregnancy with a simple blood test is important to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment, so you have a healthy baby,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement this week .

New York has reported 21 cases of congenital syphilis in counties outside of NYC this year. Authorities di

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