You may have dreamed of looking at the sweet eyes of your newborn the first time you see him in the hospital. On the other hand, it is more likely that you will meet some sticky, slightly swollen eyes. Why is this happening? Well, the goo comes from a special eye ointment that protects a baby's sight.
What is erythromycin ointment for newborns?
This eye ointment that contains erythromycin and is a antibiotic. Within 24 hours of birth, a doctor or nurse will apply a thin strip of erythromycin ointment under your little one's lower eyelids. This usually happens in the first two or three hours of a baby's life. You may also hear the phrase "ocular prophylaxis," which is the medical term for the use of antibiotic ointments to prevent eye infections in newborns.
You will not have to wash this ointment off later. It usually goes away on its own after a day or two.
Why is this erythromycin ointment put on newborns?
Simple: The ointment protects babies from serious eye infections caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other common bacteria. Moms who have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can pass it on to their newborns during delivery, putting them at risk for an eye infection known as ophthalmia neonatorum (ON).
Surely you must be thinking that there is no way you can have an STI, and you probably don't. Also, your OB/GYN probably screened you for chlamydia and gonorrhea during your pregnancy.
But some moms-to-be don't get tested, either because they don't have health insurance or because they don't get good prenatal care. Or you may have contracted chlamydia or gonorrhea after testing negative. After all, men and women can have these STIs without symptoms, and gonorrhea rates are rising.
For all of these reasons, it is safer to give erythromycin ointment to each newborn as part of routine tests and procedures.
Is erythromycin ointment necessary for the eyes of newborns?
It's important that your baby gets this eye ointment: if he doesn't and you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, there's a 30 to 50 percent chance you'll pass the bacteria on to him. And that puts your baby at risk of developing ON, which is no joke. Within a few days, the eyes of an infected baby become swollen and red with pus. If the infection is not treated, can damage corneas and cause blindness.
That's why prevention of bacterial eye infections with eye drops or ointments has been standard care of newborns since the 1880s, when the doctors put silver nitrate in the eyes of babies. They then switched to erythromycin because it is much less irritating.
In 2019, the US Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmed its earlier recommendation that all babies receive an antibiotic ointment at birth. The recommendation is also supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.
So think of erythromycin ophthalmic ointment for your newborn as insurance just in case, even if it was a C-section. Since it is an antibiotic, it could prevent eye infections caused by other types of bacteria that the baby could get.
Delay the application of eye ointment for newborns
Erythromycin may blur your newborn's vision a bit, but your little one's vision isn't 20/20 to begin with. (Most babies are myopic). But if you want to make eye contact while holding your baby, ask your doctor or nurse if they can delay applying the ointment to those little peepers. for an hour or two. They'll probably say yes so you can both enjoy your first skin-to-skin cuddling and nursing session without any further blurring (although their eyes may mist up from tears).