The current prevalence of gonococcal infections in children.

In one 6-month period, nine children, ages 11 months through 14 years, presented with gonococcal infections to the Strong Memorial Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department. These patients included young girls with vaginitis whose mothers had gonorrhea and a 10-year-old boy whose sexual contact was a 9-year-old girl. Gonorrhea in children is increasing and takes the form of conjunctivitis, arthritis, or genitourinary infection. The infection seems to be transmitted most often by contamination in the infant, involuntary sexual contact in the young child, and voluntary sexual contact in the older but not necessarily pubescent child. The physician treating children must be aware of the prevalence and characteristics of this type of infection and should use his influence in a preventive manner as well.