Within minutes of delivering your baby in a hospital, a slimy looking gel is placed over your baby’s eyes. What is it? Is it necessary? Does it hurt them? Why do they do it? I asked all these questions and more when this routine medication was put onto my first born’s eyes without explanation or consent.
What is that sticky slimy substance?
Most commonly 0.5% erythromycin ophthalmic ointment (an antibiotic) is placed on a baby’s eyes (currently, the only option in the United States and Canada). However, tetracyclin (antibiotic) and silver nitrate are also used in other places around the world.
Why?
In the late 1800’s 10% of newborns were developing ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) post birth. This is a type of pink eye that causes blindness in 3% of infants.
Erythromycin eye ointment is given to newborns to prevent the ON infection.
Is the eye ointment really necessary?
The only way for a baby to contract ON is if the mother was infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea at the time of birth. Also, if the baby was born via C-section and the mother’s water never broke before surgery, it is extremely unlikely the baby could catch ON.
Over 100 years after the discovery of ON was made, there have been many medical advancements. We can currently treat ON AFTER an infant has contracted it by giving oral or intravenous antibiotics promptly.
There are also a handful of risks associated with the medication. The eye ointment can cause eye irritation and blurred vision, widespread use can contribute to development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and it has a 20% failure rate.
What are your options?
Mothers can be screened for sexually transmitted infections while pregnant. If needed, the mother can be given antibiotics for treatment. Follow-up testing would be needed to be sure the treatment was effective.
You can wait and see if an infant develops ON. If an infant contracts ON, antibiotics can be used. This method is currently used in the United Kingdom.
After conducting our own research, my second and third born did NOT receive the eye ointment.
