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GARRETT CLEVELAND SANDBOX

I have chosen to provide additions to the article, "Neonatal Conjunctivitis". I chose this article because neonatal health is interesting to me and I have noticed that there are several opportunities for adding important information to the article. I plan to contribute a statement about how most hospitals are required by state law to use eye drops or ointment to prevent the disease soon after birth. I also plan to add that neonatal conjunctivitis may be caused by a blocked tear duct instead of bacterial infection, and the subsequent treatment if it is indeed caused by a blocked tear duct. Additionally, I would like to note that it is possible for newborns to suffer from neonatal conjunctivitis due to reactions with chemicals in common eye drops. Finally, I will add that prophylaxis with a 1% silver nitrate solution has largely been discontinued. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information will be my sources.

Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/newborns.html

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/pediatrics/conjunctivitis_90,P01678/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4170304/

Below are my planned edits to the article (edits are in bold):

"The baby's eyes are contaminated during passage through the birth canal from a mother infected with either Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis. Antibiotic ointment is typically applied to the newborn's eyes within 1 hour of birth as prevention against gonococcal ophthalmia.[1] Most hospitals in the United States are required by state law to use eye drops or ointment to prevent the disease soon after birth (CDC). If left untreated it can cause blindness."

"Chemical irritants such as silver nitrate can cause chemical conjunctivitis, usually lasting 2–4 days. Thus, prophylaxis with a 1% silver nitrate solution is no longer in common use (NCBI). In most countries neomycin andchloramphenicol eye drops are used instead. However, it is possible for newborns to suffer from neonatal conjunctivitis due to reactions with chemicals in these common eye drops (Hopkins Medicine). Additionally, a blocked tear duct may be another non-infectious cause of neonatal conjunctivitis."

* This will be a bullet in the "Treatment" section* -- "If cause is to be determined by a blocked tear duct, a gentle massage between the eye and the nasal cavity may be used to clear the tear duct. If the tear duct is not cleared by the time the newborn is one year old, surgery may be required (CDC)."