A nurse is working to prevent blindness. Which preventive action is a $\mathbf{priority}$ ?

A) Screen young adults early for visual impairments.
B) Include rubella and syphilis screening in the preconception care plan.
C) Instruct parents to report reduced eye contact from their child immediately.
D) Administer eye prophylactic antibiotics to newborns within 24 hours after birth.

Actions to prevent blindness must occur before vision impairment takes place. Screening for diseases such as rubella, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea that affect development of vision in the fetus is a preventative measure. Vision testing after birth is important to begin steps to correct or identify the problem early on so the child can develop as normally as possible; waiting until children are young adults is too late. Another technique is administering eye prophylaxis in the form of erythromycin ointment approximately 1 hour after an infant's birth. Reporting reduced eye contact is recommended but is not a preventative measure.