Vitamin K deficiency is a condition that occurs most commonly in newborns. While Vitamin K is abundant in a balanced diet and helps blood clot, newborns do not receive a lot of it through the placenta or through breast milk, and they cannot make enough on their own. That’s why most newborns receive a Vitamin K shot to stabilise their levels of Vitamin K until they can make enough on their own. However, Vitamin K deficiency may occur if a newborn has not received a Vitamin K shot.
The most common symptom of Vitamin K deficiency is uncontrollable bleeding. Other common symptoms include:
Bleeding due to Vitamin K deficiency can be fatal. If you suspect your baby is experiencing Vitamin K deficiency, seek emergency care right away.
Vitamin K deficiency is caused by the body not having enough Vitamin K. Things that can lead one to have a Vitamin K deficiency include not receiving enough Vitamin K in utero, not having the necessary gut bacteria to make new Vitamin K, foetal exposure to isoniazid or phenytoin, liver disease, and malabsorptive disorders.
Someone with malabsorptive disorders may eat foods that have enough Vitamin K in them, but due to the disease they struggle with – celiac disease and cystic fibrosis commonly cause malabsorption- they cannot properly absorb Vitamin K into their body.
Risk factors for Vitamin K deficiency include not getting a Vitamin K shot as soon as they’re born, only receiving breast milk, and exposure to medications through breast milk or in utero that cause Vitamin K deficiency, including isoniazid and phenytoin.
Your doctor can diagnose Vitamin K deficiency by taking your baby’s medical history, getting a clear understanding of their symptoms, and learning about their birth. A prothrombin time test may be done to help your doctor visualise how quickly your baby’s blood clots and confirm a diagnosis of Vitamin K deficiency.
Complications of Vitamin K deficiency include organ failure, seizures, coma, and death.
Vitamin K deficiency is treated with a shot of Vitamin K, administered to newborns in their thigh muscle. Severe cases of Vitamin K deficiency may require surgery or blood and plasma infusions.
The Vitamin K shot is completely safe for all newborns. When a baby receives a Vitamin K shot, their liver will store the Vitamin K and release it over the course of a few months until they are making enough on their own. Until your baby is making enough Vitamin K on their own, the shot will ensure that their blood clots. Babies start to make enough Vitamin K around 4 to 6 months.
While not every case of Vitamin K deficiency can be prevented if the cause is an underlying condition like liver disease or a malabsorptive disorder, ensuring that your baby receives a Vitamin K shot as soon as they’re born highly reduces the chance that they will develop a Vitamin K deficiency. Additionally, expectant mothers should check with their obstetricians to ensure that none of their medications put their baby at risk for Vitamin K deficiency.