Ophthalmia neonatorum associated with maternal chlamydial infections

An unselected sample of 142 pregnant women had a single cervical culture for C trachomatis at 36 to 40 weeks' gestation. Of these women, 18 (12.7%) had positive cultures, and their infants were followed in postoperative fashion. Of these 18 infants, eight (44%) developed ophthalmia neonatorum. A combination of cultures and conjunctival smears for Giemsa staining and fluorescent-antibody examination for infected cells confirmed the diagnosis in 70% of the infants with conjunctivitis. However, 12 of 18 infants has serum antibodies against genital strain chlamydial antigens at 1 year of age, indicating that a majority of the infants were infected. Four of the infants had superior micropannus at 1 year of age; however, none of the infants had active conjunctivitis nor corneal or conjunctival scars.