A nurse is caring for a term newborn in the nursery and is reviewing the rationale for routine erythromycin ophthalmic ointment administration. The nurse explains to a student nurse that this medication is given as a legal requirement to protect the newborn against a specific infectious exposure. Which explanation best describes why erythromycin ophthalmic ointment is administered to newborns?
- To protect the newborn from herpes simplex virus acquired through maternal bloodstream
- To prevent retinal damage caused by elevated bilirubin levels in the first days of life
- To prevent conjunctivitis caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis transmitted during delivery
- To stimulate the newborn's immune response to common bacterial pathogens in the environment