A four year retrospective & prospective study of ophthalmia neonatorum

Introduction: Ophthalmia neonatorum is one of the most common infections occurring in the first month of life. 1 Neonatal ocular infections have been largely associated with various poor perinatal outcomes. The purpose of this study is to describe the maternal and neonatal risk factors associated with the vertical transmission of neonatal conjunctivitis as well as examine treatment for neonates with this infection. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective as well as retrospective study of 215 neonates visiting Ophthalmology OPD of our hospital with complaint of discharge from eye, out of which 100 neonates were taken retrospectively and 115 were taken prospectively. Thorough history was taken to identify risk factors. Conjunctival swabs were taken for culture sensitivity testing. The frequencies were calculated of various risk factors in neonates with ophthalmia neonatorum and their mothers. Results: The commonest risk factor identified was had low birth weight (10%). The most commonly isolated organism was Staphylococcus aureus (46%). Conclusion: Improving prenatal care to reduce sepsis and early diagnosis of STI with appropriate treatment may potentially reduce vertical transmission of neonatal conjunctivitis in this understudied population.