Endocervical and conjuctival sac culture and enzyme immunosorbent assay were done on 139 mother-newborn subjects respectively at Cebu Doctors Hospital and Cebu City Medical Center from October 1, 1991 to February 28, 1992. Sensitiviy testing was done in all conjuctival isolates cultured.

C. trachomatis was detected in 21 out of 139 pregnant women in labor with a transmission rate of 66%. No N. gonorrhea was isolated.


The predominating endocervical aerobic bacterial isolates were E. coli, S. epidermis, Group B strep and S. aureus with a transmission rate of 36.44%. C albicans was detected in the endocervical area but was not transmitted.

S. aureus was responsible for conjunctivitis during the neonatal period. C. trachomatis was not manifested in 6 out of 14 neonates positive for chlamydiazyme who followed up.

Most of the conjunctival aerobic bacterial isolates showed sensitivity to erythromycin.

In view of the transmission offered by C. trachomatis and other aerobic bacterial agents from maternal endocervical area to the newborns conjunctival sac, is the problem of conjunctivitis with S. aureus during neonatal period. Erythromycin or Tetracycline is recommended as the antibiotic of choice to be used in the prophylaxis against opthalmia neonatorum.

Cebu Doctors' Proceedings, 1992 8 (2) pages 14-24