More U.S. babies born with syphilis, report finds

The troubling trend reverses a 14-year decline and shows the infection, already on the uptick among gay and bisexual men, is worsening in the heterosexual community, the team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

If a woman is infected with syphilis while pregnant, her baby can be born dead, deaf, with other nerve damage or bone deformities. Antibiotic treatment at least a month before birth can prevent that.