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One in five pregnant people in Ontario are not being screened for syphilis on time, according to new research co-authored by a ��ɫ��Ƶ professor. The findings, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), point to an urgent need to improve prenatal screening to protect newborns from a preventable and potentially fatal infection.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or delivery. Without timely antibiotic treatment, it can result in severe outcomes, including infant death. Over the past decade, rates of infectious syphilis among females of reproductive age have risen sharply – from 2.3 to 53.8 cases per 100,000 – while congenital syphilis cases have climbed from 0.3 to 14.5 cases per 100,000 live births.

The study examined 551,706 pregnancies in Ontario between 2018 and 2023. Researchers found that 79 per cent of pregnant people were screened in the first trimester, 8 per cent were not screened at all, and roughly 3 per cent were screened only in the third trimester or at delivery – too late for timely intervention.

“In a publicly funded health care system, 1 in 5 pregnancies did not receive timely syphilis screening, indicating persistent gaps in coverage,” says Dr. Sahar Saeed, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. “Sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors associated with being screened late may be related to an increased likelihood of inadequate prenatal care access.”

To close these gaps, the authors call for strategies beyond traditional prenatal care models, including community-based outreach and point-of-care testing to reach underserved populations.

With syphilis rates continuing to rise, the researchers hope their findings will drive targeted action to ensure all pregnant people receive timely screening – and that no newborn is lost to a preventable infection.

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Andrew Carroll | Media Relations Officer