Neonatal Conjunctivitis

Neonatal conjunctivitis, also known as ophthalmia neonatorum, is a form of conjunctivitis contracted by newborns during delivery. The baby's eyes are contaminated during passage through the birth canal from a mother infected with either Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis. Ophthalmic ointment containing 0.5% erythromycin is typically applied to the newborn's eyes within 1 hour of birth as prophylaxis against gonococcal ophthalmia. If left untreated it can cause blindness.