Eye ointment?

[KelseyH]

Originally Posted by Ellasundies This theory is also assuming Mom and Dad don't get baby to a doctor when their newborn clearly has a an eye infection.

Yeah... It is easily treatable for a loooong time before it causes blindness. Have you ever seen a photo of an affected newborn? It is awful. Undeniable.

And aside from (I'm sure) the drops being FAR more than $0.25, you still have the issue of introducing antibiotics in a prophylactic capacity to a newborn. Not okay IMO.

[Kiliki]

Originally Posted by KelseyH Any prophylactics during pregnancy/after birth - *especially* antibiotics - make me nervous. There's no reason for every woman and her child to be subject to routine administration of anything! Too many care providers totally skip the risk-benefit discussion with their patients and just say "do this because this is what we do". Eye ointment is to prevent gonorrhea colonization in the infants eyes. Anyone who tries to tell you that it's for any other bacteria is NOT telling you the truth. You also do not have to undergo STD testing to decline the ointment (although the attending might freak out and make you sign an AMA). I am not having STD tests done because I'm in a monogamous relationship, and in the event we have to transfer to a hospital, we are not having eye ointment administered, either - because it is just plain unnecessary. Here is some good info on the topic: http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/eyeointm.html

This. I don't have any STDs, so I don't worry about it.

[EmilytheStrange]

Originally Posted by mommy24babes There are stds that can cause blindness and rather than testing mothers they decided it was a good idea to treat every single baby. I guess because someone might not think it possible they have an STD they don't take a chance.

yep.

if you have no chance of having an STD, your baby doesn't need it.

but there are tons of women who just go to the nearest emergency room in labor and doctors don't know anything about their tests, etc. So, it's standard procedure to just protect the baby.

[aaiya]

I declined with the last baby I had. My CNM wanted me to get tested for STDs before she was cool with it (even though DH and I have only ever been with each other)...I think she was just covering her own tail. I went along because she was doing the group-b strep test at the same time anyway and I wasn't in the mood to make waves. This time (different midwife) I'll just straight-up decline.

[momto2princesses]

I refused it with my 2nd. She was born at home and my midwife had no problems with it. The pediatrician did bring it up the following week at her first visit, but she didn't make a big deal of it. I'm a doctor and my husband is an ophthalmologist. Neither one of us sees any reason to do it for our children. And besides, if one of our children ever had a problem with their eyes, pretty sure my husband could take care of it better than the OB or pediatrician or whatever.

[MyM&W]

I declined with ds. He has very healthy eye now. I didn't know any better with DD and she got them. Don't know if its related or not but she needed to have glasses at a young age.

[laila]

Declined in all my babies. Just wrote it on my birth plan and let my midwives know. I had hospital births with midwifes and the only time I've ever been lectured was from the assigned check out pediatrician and that was because I was refusing the vitamin k shot.

Refused for all the previously stated reasons, and I believe it affects the mother/ baby bonding and might hinder nursing. Just want to make sure we start off on the right foot. :-) Never had an issue nursing or bonding with any of my babies.

[TwinKristi]

I refused it with my 6th baby and they had no issues with it. I wiped off the extra with my others as soon as I could. I hated them but didn't know I could say no! :-(
And for my friend's baby born last month they told her its because the "path to being born isn't the cleanest" and didn't mention STDs at all. I didn't tell her what to do or not to do... As much as it killed me!!

[mommy24babes]

Originally Posted by TwinKristi they told her its because the "path to being born isn't the cleanest" and didn't mention STDs !

It's this kind of outright lies that drive me crazy!
Whatever happened to informed consent?!

[ilovemygirl]

I was told that since I was strep B positive and having a vaginal birth I had to do it. That was years ago and it didn't occur to me I could decline at the time.
I haven't seen anything to prove it's necessary, even with the strep B so I will be declining this time around.