VITAMIN-K DEFICIENCY AND HEMORRHAGE IN INFANCY

Vitamin K given intramuscularly will prevent largely hemorrhagic disease in the newborn infant. Results with oral vitamin K prophylaxis, currently used in some countries following the association found in a single report between childhood cancer and intramuscular vitamin K, are far more controversial. Any role of vitamin K in the prevention of Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants has not been demonstrated sufficiently. Ongoing developments in this field will lead to improved methods of detecting early vitamin K deficiency and perhaps suitable alternatives to intramuscular vitamin K prophylaxis in the newborn.