Ophthalmia neonatorum
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Ophthalmia neonatorum is a form of bacterial 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. Typical treatment is silver nitrate drops. If left untreated it can cause blindness.
Ophthalmia neonatorum, also known as neonatal conjunctivitis, can also be caused by other bacteria, viruses, and chemical irritants (such as silver nitrate). Thus, silver nitrate is not used very often, anymore, because it can cause chemical conjunctivitis, which usually clears up within 2 to 4 days. More often, the prophylactic agent used to treat neonates include forms of erythromycin or tetracycline.
[edit] References
http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic325.htm
[edit] See also
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