Shortly after a baby is born, it is routine for the health care provider to place drops in their eyes. Typically it is silver nitrate or erythromycin. In Ontario, this is the law. When we requested that our midwife not give the drops, we were informed that they are legally bound to call in social services at that point. It’s not that your child would be permanently taken from you, but rather that valuable hours shortly after birth would be stolen away as you are temporarily separated from your child.
Why the drops?
Bacterial infection of the eyes is the primary cause of blindness in infants.
This is the kind of bacteria that causes Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia. During birth, the bacteria can be passed on to the newborn, even if the mother has no symptoms. The drops are to prevent infection from this bacteria.
Why do I have an issue with it?
I have an issue with it, because it takes away my choices as a parent. After I leave the hospital I am allowed to decide for my child whether to breastfeed or formula feed. As they grow I can decide to send them to school or home school. Most notably, from the moment I leave the hospital I get to decide on their medical attention for the most part (i.e. to vaccinate or not, to take antibiotics or not, etc.) So why, at birth, do I not have the right as a parent to make the choice to forego these eye drops?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about neglecting the health of my child. But during pregnancy, numerous times, a mother is tested for STD’s, including those listed above. She is tested again just before giving birth. If I know, and the health care practitioners know, that I do not have these infections, why are we forced to administer these drops to a newborn?
I, for one, would like to see this law changed in Ontario. I would love to work with a lawyer to get this law changed, so that when it has been proven that the mother is infection free, the choice is hers as to whether or not her child receives these drops. What do you think?
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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I have had three midwife assisted, hospital births in Ontario. Each was with a different midwifery practice, in a different municipality. In 2004 my midwives informed me of this issue and we planned to avoid it and sign the waiver. In the moments after birth when our MW verified our wishes, it just didn’t seem that momentous, and we allowed it. In 2008 we choose not to, and we signed a waiver. In 2012 again we opted not to but days following our birth we were contacted by the health unit who (in my opinion) harassed me and reported us to CAS for “substandard care of a newborn”. They threatened that they would have forced the treatment by having CAS apprehend our baby hours after birth, HAD they found out in time.
How crazy! So glad it worked out the way it did for you! I so wish we had the option to make our own responsible choices for our children at birth as we can after birth!
I forgot to mention our facebook page!
Please “like” us…. The more people who join, the stronger our cause will look so that we can get this law changed!!
http://www.facebook.com/StopUnnecessaryAntibioticEyeTreatmentForNewborns
Hi Liz and all readers…
Please see the following petition and sign to get this law changed!!!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/eye-antibiotics/
Wow I had no idea this was a law. I just had a baby 6 weeks ago (in Ontario) and had added to my birth plan that I did not want the drops. I was very fortunate to have no issue at all, they asked me why and that was it, it wasn’t mentioned again. My husband did have to remind the nurse right when my son was born because she forgot and was about to still give the drops. But overall they were very accommodating. I think if I was told that I had no choice in the matter I would have lost it. (but I did have to sign a waiver). I’m sorry you experienced that, how frustrating!
Where in Ontario are you located? I’d love to be able to sign a waiver. It’s my understanding that they no longer offer it. Perhaps you are in a town that doesn’t realize the law has changed. I want to go give birth there!
This is over the top. Do you have lawyers there the way we do here in the US? I’m guessing there was a case where a poor baby got this, and then everyone was sued, and now everyone has to go through this process because of it. That’s typically the way it goes here. Liability rules the day.
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Thank you for speaking up for parental rights and the insanity of this law. I must wonder if there is money to be made in it or if it is just an ignorant law?
Where I have birthed we are able to sign wavers to avoid it but most parents don’t know there are wavers and most are not informed that there is any choice at all.
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