Final answer:
Silver nitrate was used in the past to prevent the transmission of gonorrhea from an infected mother to her newborn, but now antibacterial creams or drops like erythromycin are more commonly used.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gonorrhea can be transmitted from an infected mother to her newborn during birth, causing a potentially serious eye infection called gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum. In the past, silver nitrate was routinely used to prevent this transmission by applying it to the newborn's eyes shortly after birth. However, nowadays, it is more common to use antibacterial creams or drops like erythromycin for this purpose.