State Child Abuse and Mandated Reporting Policies for Prenatal Substance Use and Congenital Syphilis Case Rates: United States, 2018-2022.

Abstract

Objectives. To estimate the association of state policies that define prenatal substance use as child abuse and mandate that health care professionals report prenatal substance use to child protective services with congenital syphilis case rates. Methods. We used 2018 to 2022 US data on congenital syphilis case notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. We conducted linear regression with a generalized estimating equation approach to compare congenital syphilis case rates in states with a child abuse policy only, a mandated reporting policy only, and both polices to rates in states with neither policy. Results. After adjustment for confounders, the rate of congenital syphilis cases was, on average, 23.5 (95% confidence interval = 2.2, 44.8) cases per 100 000 live births higher in states with both a child abuse policy and a mandated reporting policy for prenatal substance use than in states with neither policy. Rates were similar in states with a child abuse policy only and a mandated reporting policy only compared to states with neither policy. Conclusions. The combination of state child abuse policies and mandated reporting policies for prenatal substance use potentially contributes to higher congenital syphilis case rates. (Am J Public Health. 2025;115(4):566-574. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307951).