Vitamin K deficiency: a case report and review of current guidelines.
Ital J Pediatr. 2018 Mar 14;44(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s13052-018-0474-0.
Marchili MR1, Santoro E2, Marchesi A3, Bianchi S3, Rotondi Aufiero L3, Villani A3.
- To prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding many countries inject or give Vitamin K orally to all newborns
- Total doses range from 1 to 6 mg over several days - depend on country
- I wonder why ALL infants get Vitamin K injections/oral
- I wonder if this started when Vitamin K levels in maternal blood decreased ~40 years ago
- due to decreased Vitamin K in dairy products (low-fat, etc.)
- I wonder if K1 or K2 is used
- I wonder why they do not continue to look at Vitamin K levels in infants/toddlers
- I wonder why Vitamin K is given at birth to stop bleeding but Vitamin K is restricgted in elderly to prevent bleeding
- I wonder why Vitamin D is not also given to infants
- similar to East Germany 600,000 IU injections for many decades
- Henry Lahore - founder of Vitamin D Life
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life
BACKGROUND:
Vitamin K, a fat soluble vitamin, is a necessary cofactor for the activation of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, X, and protein C and S. In neonatal period, vitamin K deficiency may lead to Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB).
CASE PRESENTATION:
We present the case of a 2 months and 20 days Caucasian male, presented for bleeding from the injections sites of vaccines. At birth oral vitamin K prophylaxis was administered. Neonatal period was normal. He was exclusively breastfed and received a daily oral supplementation with 25 μg of vitamin K. A late onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding was suspected. Intravenous Vitamin K was administered with complete recovery.
CONCLUSIONS:
Nevertheless the oral prophylaxis, our case developed a VKDB: it is necessary to revise the current guidelines in order to standardize timing and dosage in different clinical conditions.
PMID: 29540231 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-018-0474-0
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