Newborn eye drops

Should my baby get eye drops at birth?

Eye infection with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae is now a rare occurrence in Canada, but is devastating when it occurs, with the risk of permanent loss of vision. The routine use of the antibiotic eye drops in newborn infants is no longer recommended. Mothers should be screened for gonorrhea and chlamydia in the first prenatal visit, and those who are found to be infected should be treated. Retesting should be conducted again in the third trimester (or failing that, at the time of delivery). Only babies from mothers who are found to be infected late in pregnancy should receive eye drops.