Final answer:
Ophthalmia neonatorum can be prevented in a newborn born to a woman with untreated gonococcal infection by applying prophylactic eye ointment, such as erythromycin, immediately after birth. This is a common legal requirement in hospitals and effectively prevents bacterial infections that could lead to serious complications or blindness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ophthalmia neonatorum is a form of eye infection that can occur in newborns, commonly due to exposure to bacteria like Neisseria gonorrhoeae during passage through the birth canal. The question relates to the prevention of this condition in newborns born to mothers with untreated gonococcal infection, and I can confirm that b) Use prophylactic eye ointment at birth is the correct method to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum. Antibacterial ointments or drops, such as erythromycin, are commonly used for this purpose and they are required by law to be administered to infants in many hospitals.
While silver nitrate ointments were historically used, erythromycin or other antibacterial creams and drops are now more common. These prophylactics work to prevent not only gonoccocal ophthalmia neonatorum but also infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and other bacteria. Oral antibiotics are reserved for treating an existing infection rather than for prevention, so option a) is not applicable in this context. Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits and there is no recommendation to delay it in the context of preventing eye infections. Likewise, avoiding direct eye contact with the newborn would not be an effective means of prevention and is not recommended. Therefore, the most effective preventive measure for ophthalmia neonatorum in the described scenario is the application of prophylactic eye ointment.