A 26-Year-Old Woman, Gravida 1 Para 0, Is Admitted to the Hospital

A 26-year-old woman, gravida 1 para 0, is admitted to the hospital in active labor at 38 weeks gestation. Twelve hours after admission, she had a spontaneous vaginal birth of a newborn boy weighing 3.8 kg (8.4 lb) and receiving Apgar ratings of 8 and 9, respectively, at 1 and 5 minutes. The patient received no normal prenatal care. She does not have any chronic medical issues or drug allergies. Following birth, the patient is advised that erythromycin ointment will be required to avoid an eye infection and potential blindness caused by untreated gonorrhea. The patient claims that her son does not require therapy because she has never been exposed to a sexually transmitted virus.

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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