July 28, 2011 – The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2005 recommendation that all newborns should receive topical eye medication for the prevention of gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum within 24 hours of birth. This is a Grade A recommendation. The USPSTF concluded that there was no evidence of harms associated with the treatment, and the evidence showed a clear benefit to offering the preventive measure to all newborns. The recommendation is available at /uspstf/recommendation/ocular-prophylaxis-for-gonococcal-ophthalmia-neonatorum-preventive-medication.
The USPSTF is a national, independent panel of medical experts that makes recommendations, based on scientific evidence, to primary care doctors and other health care providers about which clinical preventive services they should offer their patients.
