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Forward Genetic Approaches in Chlamydia trachomatis
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Chlamydial and gonococcal infections in infants and children

Margaret R Hammerschlag1

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA. mhammerschlag@downstate.edu

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|November 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Updated guidelines maintain current recommendations for treating infant gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Prenatal screening and treatment remain the most effective prevention strategy for neonatal infections.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Current guidelines for treating neonatal gonococcal and Chlamydia trachomatis infections remain consistent with previous recommendations.
  • Limited new data exist regarding the diagnosis and treatment of these neonatal infections.
  • Recent evidence questions the efficacy of povidone-iodine for neonatal ocular prophylaxis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and summarize the recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of gonococcal and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in infants and children.
  • To highlight any updates or changes in the 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines.
  • To assess the available evidence on neonatal ocular prophylaxis and its effectiveness.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines.
  • Review of recent scientific literature concerning neonatal chlamydial and gonococcal infections.
  • Evaluation of studies on the efficacy of neonatal ocular prophylaxis.

Main Results:

  • The 2010 CDC guidelines for diagnosing and treating gonococcal and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in children are unchanged from 2006.
  • New data on diagnosis or treatment of these neonatal infections are lacking.
  • Studies suggest povidone-iodine may be ineffective for preventing chlamydial or gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal screening and treatment of pregnant women is the most effective method for preventing neonatal gonococcal ophthalmia.
  • This strategy is also the most effective for preventing neonatal Chlamydia trachomatis infections.
  • Current recommendations for managing these infections in infants and children remain unchanged due to a lack of new supporting data.

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