Post-Delivery Newborn Medications 👁️Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment: prophylactically administered to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum, an eye infection which can rapidly lead to blindness. This drug is required by law in the United States. 💉Vitamin K: administered intramuscularly to aid the newborn in clotting of their blood. Why do we administer this? The gut of a newborn is sterile and is unable to produce vitamni K until 1 week after birth. We need this drug in order to help the baby clot, s