Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33731049›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2021

Neonatal prophylaxis with antibiotic containing ointments does not reduce incidence of chlamydial conjunctivitis in newborns.

Tamar A Smith-Norowitz, Crystal Ukaegbu, Stephan Kohlhoff, Margaret R Hammerschlag

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pharmacological assessment of drugs retained in the 1Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Laboratory detection methods for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in children: a review.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Frontiers in public health · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tamar A Smith-NorowitzDepartment of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Box 49, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA. tamar.smith-norowitz@downstate.edu.
Crystal UkaegbuDepartment of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Box 49, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
Stephan KohlhoffDepartment of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Box 49, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
Margaret R HammerschlagDepartment of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Box 49, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
State University of New York · USSUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeonatal ocular prophylaxis with silver nitrate does not prevent neonatal conjunctivitis due to Chlamydia trachomatis. The efficacy of antibiotic containing preparations for prevention of neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis (NCC) has not been established.

objectiveTo examine published literature to determine whether antibiotic containing preparation are efficacious for prevention of NCC and C. trachomatis in the nasopharynx.

methodsA literature search of MEDLINE and EMBASE. Articles were selected for review if their content included 4 key criteria: (1) Prospective/comparative study. (2) Prenatal screening of mothers for C. trachomatis with results reported. (3) Follow-up of infants born to chlamydia-positive women. (4) Infants prospectively followed at regular intervals and tested for C. trachomatis in the eye/ nasopharynx (NP).

resultsThe search yielded 159 studies; 11 were selected for full reviews, eight were excluded; three addressed the four criteria. Rates of C. trachomatis conjunctivitis in infants in included studies who received silver nitrate was 20-33%; positive NP, 1-28% and pneumonia, 3-8%. Rates of C. trachomatis conjunctivitis in neonates who received erythromycin or tetracycline prophylaxis did not differ from silver nitrate; 0-15 and 11%, respectively, who received erythromycin or tetracycline developed NCC. Similarly, 4-33 and 5% of infants who received erythromycin or tetracycline, respectively, had positive NP cultures; 0-4% developed chlamydial pneumonia.

conclusionNeonatal ocular prophylaxis with erythromycin or tetracycline ophthalmic ointments does not reduce incidence of neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis or respiratory infection in infants born to mothers with C. trachomatis infection compared to silver nitrate.

Indexed as

Antibiotic ProphylaxisAnti-Bacterial AgentsChlamydia InfectionsChlamydia trachomatisConjunctivitis, InclusionFemaleHumansIncidenceInfant, NewbornPregnancyAnti-Bacterial AgentsChlamydia trachomatisErythromycinNeonatal chlamydial prophylaxisSilver nitrateTetracycline

Identifiers

PMID33731049
PMCPMC7971948
OpenAlexW3138615884

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.