All newborns, within the neonatal hospital routine, are placed a few drops or an antibiotic ointment in the eyes to protect against conjunctivitis They could suffer if the mother had an infection causing conjunctivitis, such as gonorrheal, undiagnosed, capable of causing blindness.
For this, ophthalmic tetracycline (hydrochloride) is used, an ophthalmic ointment from the tetracline family indicated for the prevention of eye infection. Newborns are given a single dose in both eyes.
In contrast to what happened with silver nitrate that until recently was used for the same purpose, eye drops or ointments that are currently used barely irritate the baby's eyes. However, they can cloud their already poor vision, which as we saw is due to the fact that the central area of the retina is not yet developed at the time of birth.
However, the newborn can perceive changes in the intensity of light and can set contrast points, which can be used to identify the shape of the human face. Therefore, in some maternity hospitals they wait until they have had the first contact with their parents to put this prophylactic ointment.
A practice that seems very advisable to help the approach to the mother is early, not only through smell, not only through taste and touch, not only through the sound of her voice: sight is also important, blurred That is in these first hours of life.
So that the application of ointment in the eyes of the newborn is a preventive measure against infection of them, advisable because it could bring complications in a baby. But that can be administered in the first two hours of life of the baby as advised by routine protocols, not necessarily in the first moment after birth.
