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Caldwell County health staff outline women’s services and warn of rising congenital syphilis
Summary
Caldwell County Health Department staff described prenatal and women's health services, explained how residents can access care and benefits, and warned of a recent rise in congenital syphilis while pointing to local referral and support programs.
Bree Flanagan, a public health educator with the Caldwell County Health Department, and county maternal-health staff summarized the department’s women’s health services and urged early prenatal care after reporting an increase in congenital syphilis in North Carolina.
The county’s maternity clinic, staff said, provides pregnancy testing, initial and anatomy ultrasounds, standard ACOG-recommended prenatal testing and ongoing monitoring through roughly 28–30 weeks, and refers patients for delivery to hospitals in Burke or Catawba counties. “They don't give birth in Caldwell County anymore. So we keep them from 28 to 30 weeks,” April, a maternal health nurse, said.
Why it matters: staff warned that congenital syphilis has increased and can cause blindness, deafness, bone and dental deformities or death if untreated. County presenters said North Carolina’s reported syphilis numbers are the highest in nearly 20 years and cited a 24% rise from 2023 to 2024; staff also stated they…
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