An estimated 0.25 to 1.7 percent of newborns experience bleeding complications due to low blood levels of vitamin K, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Vitamin K is an essential nutrient your infant's body needs to maintain proper blood clotting and bone health. Healthy infants up to 6 months old should receive 2 mcg vitamin K daily, while infants between 7 and 12 months old require 2.5 mcg vitamin K daily, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. If you are pregnant or have a newborn, talk with your doctor about how to prevent or identify low vitamin K levels in your baby.
Causes
Newborn babies may have low levels of vitamin K in their bloodstream for a variety of reasons. It is difficult for this nutrient to pass from the mother through the placental wall to the developing fetus. At birth, newborns do not have sufficient levels of digestive bacteria that naturally produce menaquinone, a form of vitamin K. Additionally, the natural vitamin K cycle, which helps the body recycle this quickly-depleted nutrient, is not fully functional in newborn infants -- especially if an infant is born prematurely. Low vitamin K levels in newborn babies may also occur if such infants are exclusively breastfed. When compared to formula, breast milk contains low levels of vitamin K, which may contribute to vitamin K deficiency.
Symptoms
If your infant has low levels of vitamin K, you may notice blood in his urine or bowel movements when you change his diaper. A vitamin K deficiency may also result in unusual bleeding or oozing around your infant's umbilical cord. Your baby may also bruise easily following minor trauma while being picked up from his crib or strapped into his car seat. Seek care from your infant's pediatrician if your baby develops any of these symptoms. Bloody stools or urine may also be signs of alternate health problems, such as an intestinal or bladder infection.
Complications
Severe bleeding of your infant's brain may develop as a complication of a vitamin K deficiency. Intracranial bleeding may result in an infant stroke, which may cause permanent brain damage. A newborn who suffers bleeding of the brain may also develop seizures or jaundice -- a condition characterized by unusual yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes. If your baby exhibits any symptoms or signs of bleeding complications, consult an emergency medical care provider immediately. Without prompt and appropriate care, your newborn may experience permanent cognitive and developmental complications.
Prevention and Treatment
Vitamin K deficiency in newborns is typically prevented by the administration of a vitamin K injection at birth. If your baby did not receive this injection and develops low vitamin K levels, your pediatrician may recommend treatment with an injection of phytonadione, a form of vitamin K, in the muscle or beneath the surface of the skin. Generally, this treatment is repeated until your infant's blood levels of vitamin K are restored to normal.
References
- Better Health Channel: Vitamin K and Newborn Babies
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Vitamin K
- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford: Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Policy Statement - Controversies Concerning Vitamin K and the Newborn
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Vitamin K
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Birth Injury: Problems in Newborns - Bleeding in the Brain
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