Vitamin K

WHAT IS IT?

  • Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting

  • Newborns naturally have low levels of Vitamin K (very little is found in breastmilk)

  • Vitamin K is produced in the gut by a bacteria that isn’t present until solid foods are introduced

WHY IS IT GIVEN?

To prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), which can can cause serious internal bleeding, including brain hemorrhages

HOW IS IT ADMINISTERED?

A single shot is given to the baby shortly after birth

STATISTICS AND BENEFITS

  • Without the Vitamin K shot, the risk of VKDB is about 1 in 1000 babies

  • With the shot, the risk of VKDB drops to about 1 in 1,000,000

  • With oral vitamin K, risk is about 2 in 100,000

  • VKDB can be life-threatening and present anywhere from 24 hours after birth to 6 months of age; approximately 50% of cases involve brain hemorrhages

ARE THERE REASONS NOT TO GIVE IT?

Some parents worry about the pain of the injection, but the procedure is quick and minor. We recommend parents feed their baby or do skin-to-skin for comfort while the injection is given

ALTERNATIVES

The Canadian Paediatric Society and the College of Family Physicians of Canada recommend routine IM administration of a single dose of vitamin K to all newborns. Administering oral vitamin K (2.0 mg at birth, repeated at 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 weeks of age), should be confined to newborns whose parents decline IM vitamin K. Parents are responsible for sourcing their own oral vitamin K.