**13.** *Chlamydia trachomatis* **and newborn pneumonia**

*Chlamidia trachomatis* can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during birth. In pregnant women, the incidence of chlamydial infection is between 2 and 24% [7]. Infants born to infected mothers may develop inclusion conjunctivitis and pneumonia in the first few weeks after birth. Infants with inclusion conjunctivitis have mucopurulent discharge and conjunctival edema. It can also be asymptomatic [5, 20]. Neonatal pneumonia begins at 3–11 weeks with nasal congestion, tachypnea, and cough. Interstitial infiltrates may be seen in the lungs. If left untreated, respiratory failure may develop. Obstructive lung diseases may be more common in these infants later in life [20].

The first choice in diagnostic methods is the isolation of *C. trachomatis* in respiratory secretion cultures with McCoy or other cell lines. Detection of anti-chlamydia IgM antibodies at higher levels or at titers higher than 1:32 is diagnostic.

Treatment is the same for neonatal inclusion conjunctivitis and pneumonia. Oral erythromycin is effective for 14 days. It also eliminates the carrier [7].
