Is application of erythromycin ointment in newborns' eyes a law in Mississippi?

I have been told by my chosen hospital that it is state law in Mississippi that babies must receive erythromycin ointment in their eyes within an hour of birth and again before the baby leaves the hospital. I know in some states you can decline the ointment, but I was told that I was not able to due to it being state law. I can't find any information that backs up what the hospital personnel has told me, and, quite frankly, I don't believe it until I do. I thought it was the parents' lawful right to refuse any treatment given to their child.Is application of erythromycin ointment in newborns' eyes a law in Mississippi?
You are going to have to find the law on the books if they are giving you a hard time. Most likely (as in most states) the law is that the hospital must offer/attempt to give the application of erythromycin to each newborn, regardless of whether or not the mother has already been tested for STDs, UTIs, yeast infections, etc. and came up clean. That means the hospital has to rovide it and must offer it/usually encourage it, however there will be a waiver process. You have to find make arrangements ahead of time with the hospital by filling out a waiver to refuse the treatment. All hospitals have a waiver to refuse treatment. If you are getting nowhere with the delivery floor at the hospital and you OB, thy the hospital's admin office. Tell them you are requesting a waiver to refuse certain treatment for your newborn baby. They should know what you are talking about. I would get on it right away though as you never know how long these processes can take - especailly when you are up against a whole bunch of ';powerful'; people who oppose your views. Good luck! And I wish you a happy, healthy delivery.Is application of erythromycin ointment in newborns' eyes a law in Mississippi?
It's not a matter of power, rather a matter of sight preservation. World-wide, childhood blindness from chlamydia (trachoma) and gonorrhea remains significant. Erythromycin ointment prevents both.





I was director of the newborn and premature nurseries at two large community hospitals, and I spent many, many hours discussing and writing policies that improved early bonding between infant and mother. I eagerly changed from silver nitrate drops to erythromycin ointment. But when people proposed abandoning or delaying instillation of erythromycin so the newborn can see the mother more clearly, I fumed. No, no, no. Get real. This is ridiculous. In this case the law protects infants from their parents' ignorance. Bring on the thumbs down.
Its actually a law in many states.





Check page 20 of this .pdf document for specifics about Mississippi. http://www.rbs2.com/SilvNitr.pdf





Also if you search for the word mississippi it is mentioned on other pages about miss. only allowing erythromycin. But page 20 gives the specific code numbers of the law (which hasn't been updated since 1942!)





In my searching for you, I also found that eye drops and Vitamin K shots are required by law in my state (new york) as well... I was actually researching this because I'm working on my birth plan now, but I guess the law made the decisions for me. :(