Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for proper blood clotting. Without an adequate amount of vitamin K, blood clots slowly and the patient is at risk of hemorrhage. Babies do not have a detectable amount of vitamin K when they are born. Because of this, many babies are administered intramuscular vitamin K at birth to prevent vitamin K deficient bleeding. Consult your infant's pediatrician before administering vitamin K or any medication or supplement. Do not administer an injection unless you have received proper training.
Step 1
Swaddle the infant in a baby blanket. Leave one of his legs unwrapped. The injection site will be the vastus lateralis, which is the muscle in the middle of the outside portion of his thigh.
Step 2
Cleanse the injection site with an alcohol swab.
Step 3
Remove the cap from the vial of vitamin K and cleanse the top of the vial.
Step 4
Don gloves and remove the cap from the needle. Insert the needle into the vitamin K vial.
Step 5
Hold the vitamin K vial upside down and draw the prescribed amount of vitamin K into the syringe by pulling back on the plunger. Infants weighing 1,500 g -- equivalent to approximately 3.3 lbs. -- or more are typically prescribed 1 mg of vitamin K. The typical vitamin K dose for infants weighing less than 1,500 g is 0.5 mg.
Step 6
Remove the needle from the vitamin K vial. Hold the baby's leg and thigh still by grasping it your hand.
Step 7
Inject the needle quickly into the injection site with your free hand. Pull up slightly on the plunger to aspirate the muscle. Blood in the syringe following muscle aspiration is an indication that a blood vessel was compromised. If this occurs, remove the needle from the injection site and immediately recap it and discard the syringe. Apply firm, even pressure over the injection site for three minutes. Start the procedure over if there is no bleeding after three minutes. Continue to apply pressure and contact a physician if the site continues to bleed.
Step 8
Administer the vitamin K by pushing down on the plunger if no blood was produced by the aspiration. A muscle aspiration that produces no change in the syringe is an indication that the needle was successfully injected in the muscle without compromising a blood vessel.
Step 9
Remove the needle from the injection site. Immediately recap the needle and discard the syringe. Apply an adhesive bandage to the injection site.
Things You'll Need
- Baby blanket
- Alcohol swab
- Syringe
- Vitamin K vial
- Gloves
- Adhesive bandage
References
- "Foundations of Nursing"; Lois White, Gena Duncan and Wendy Baumle; 2010
- "Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children"; Marilyn J. Hockenberry PhD RN and David Wilson MS RNC; 2010
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