Question

A woman in active labor arrives at the birthing unit. she tells the nurse that she was told that she had a chlamydial infection the last time she visited the clinic; however, she stopped taking the antibiotic after 3 days because she "felt better." in light of this history what would the nurse anticipate as part of the plan of care?

Answer 1

During delivery and natural childbirth, the newborn is passing through the birth canal and there is a risk of transmitting the mother's chlamydial infection to the newborn. Therefore, it is important to administer antibiotics to the woman in order to treat the infection and prevent this transmission. If there is not enough time to treat the infection, the doctor could suggest to perform a cesarean birth and avoid the baby's passage through the birth canal.