Prevention check
Does my newborn need eye ointment?
Without prevention, 30% to 50% of babies born to a parent with gonorrhea get the infection. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends eye ointment for every newborn to prevent a gonorrhea eye infection that can cause blindness. Check what it means for your baby.
About your baby
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What you will see
What the USPSTF recommends for your baby's eyes after birth.
Educational only, not medical advice. General safety advice (not part of the USPSTF recommendation): if your baby has red, swollen or sticky eyes, call their clinician.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, January 2019 reaffirmation recommendation on ocular prophylaxis for gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum.
Validated in
All newborns, regardless of how early or late they are born.
Limits
It is about prevention only. It cannot tell whether a baby has an eye infection, and it does not cover other causes of newborn eye problems.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| All newborns | Prophylactic eye medication to prevent gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum (gonorrhea eye infection) | A |
The USPSTF reaffirmed its 2011 A recommendation in 2019. Erythromycin eye ointment is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for this. Eye prophylaxis of newborns is required in most states and is standard newborn care (USPSTF 2019).
Why it matters
Gonococcal eye infection in newborns can cause scarring of the cornea, a hole in the eye and blindness as early as 24 hours after birth (USPSTF 2019). Without prevention, 30% to 50% of babies born to a parent with gonorrhea get the infection. In the US, the reported rate was about 0.4 cases per 100,000 live births a year from 2013 to 2017, likely an undercount (USPSTF 2019).
Why every baby, not just babies at risk?
Many people do not get gonorrhea screening in pregnancy: an estimated 6.2% of US births are to women with little or no prenatal care, and up to 20% in some groups (USPSTF 2019). There are no tools to judge a baby's risk and no studies comparing risk-based with universal prevention, so the USPSTF kept the recommendation for all newborns. It cited the rapid course and serious harms of the infection and rising gonorrhea rates (USPSTF 2019).
Common questions
Is the ointment safe?
The USPSTF found convincing evidence that erythromycin eye ointment is not linked to serious harms. A possible harm is antibiotic resistance; whether gonorrhea in the US has become resistant to erythromycin ointment is unknown (USPSTF 2019).
Are there other medicines?
Tetracycline ointment and silver nitrate are no longer available in the US. Gentamicin was used during an erythromycin shortage but caused eye irritation. Povidone-iodine has limited data (USPSTF 2019).
What do other groups recommend?
As summarized by the USPSTF: the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization recommend eye prophylaxis for all newborns. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends against universal prophylaxis, and several European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK) rely on screening and treating pregnant women instead (USPSTF 2019).
Does gonorrhea screening in pregnancy still matter?
Yes. The USPSTF recommends gonorrhea screening in pregnant women and in sexually active women 24 and younger or at increased risk. Screening and treatment in pregnancy is an important way to prevent passing the infection to the baby (USPSTF 2019).
Also see the chlamydia and gonorrhea screening check, the Rh factor in pregnancy check, the breastfeeding support check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Ocular Prophylaxis for Gonococcal Ophthalmia Neonatorum: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2019;321(4):394-398. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/ocular-prophylaxis-for-gonococcal-ophthalmia-neonatorum-preventive-medication
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-31. Spotted an error? See About.