§ 132:6 — Prevention of Ophthalmia in Newborn

I. The physician, hospital, nurse midwife, midwife, or other health care provider attending a newborn child shall, after washing the lids and adjacent tissues immediately following birth, place into each eye of every child a single drop of a one percent solution of nitrate of silver or some equally efficient solution.
II. Should one or both eyes of an infant become inflamed, swollen, and red, and show an unusual discharge at any time within 2 weeks after its birth, a report shall be made in writing, within 6 hours thereafter, to the department of health and human services, except if a licensed physician is in attendance he shall report as required by this section within 24 hours.
III. If a physician is not in attendance, the parents, or whoever has charge of such infant, shall immediately place it in the charge of a licensed physician.
IV. The commissioner of the department of health and human services may publish such information and instruction and adopt rules as he deems expedient to prevent the development of inflammation in the eyes of newborn babies, or so-called ophthalmia neonatorum.

Legislative History

1911, 121:1. PL 128:5. RL 150:5. RSA 132:6. 1985, 190:40. 1986, 198:14. 1995, 310:181, 182. 1999, 213:1, eff. July 6, 1999.