A 26-Year-Old Woman, Gravida 1 Para 0, at 38 Weeks

A 26-year-old woman, gravida 1 para 0, at 38 weeks gestation is admitted to the hospital in active labor.  Twelve hours after admission, she has a spontaneous vaginal delivery of a baby boy who weighs 3.8 kg (8.4 lb) and has Apgar scores of 8 and 9 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively.  The patient did not receive routine prenatal care.  She has no chronic medical conditions and no medication allergies.  After delivery, the patient is informed that her son will require erythromycin ointment to prevent an eye infection and possible blindness that can be caused by untreated gonorrhea.  The patient says her son does not need treatment because she has never had a sexually transmitted infection.  Which of the following is the most appropriate response to this patient?

A) "Although you're refusing what is recommended, I respect your decision to decline treatment and will document it in your chart."
B) "Giving medication to a healthy baby may seem unusual and unnecessary; let's talk about why this treatment is recommended for all newborns."
C) "I'm not assuming you have a sexually transmitted infection, but in case you do, this treatment could prevent serious eye conditions."
D) "Refusing treatment puts your baby at risk for lifelong consequences from an otherwise preventable condition; let's discuss the potential risks of your decision."
E) "Sometimes people can have gonorrhea without obvious symptoms, which is why I'm required to give this medication to all newborns."

Correct Answer:

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