Vitamin K: Decisions at

birth for supplementation

Giselle Rackley
HLTH 1010
Instructor: Gina Gerboth

Free photo from https://pixabay.com/photos/baby-foot-baby-newborn-baby-feet-4525129/

 What is Vitamin K?
❖ It is a fat-soluble vitamin needed for blood clotting.
❖ Vitamin K1 comes from leafy greens and other
plants (90%)
❖ Vitamin K2 is created from our gut flora (10%).
❖ Vitamin K3 is not naturally occuring and had
caused adverse outcomes (banned by FDA for
human use)

What more do I want to know about Vitamin K?

 Why is Vitamin K given to newborns?
❖ Vitamin K is given to prevent Vitamin K deficiency
bleeding (VKDB) in newborns
❖ VKDB presents first as fussiness, lethargy, or
bleeding around the umbilical or circumcision site
❖ Serious VKDB involves bleeding in the brain,
seizures, or death
❖ Newborns do not have a mature gut to create their
own Vitamin K and have very little at birth
 How often does VKDB occur?
❖ Early VKDB occurs in 1 in 60 births during the
first 24 hours of birth (uncommon)
❖ Classical VKDB occurs in 1 in 250 births during
the first week (rare)
❖ Late VKDB occurs in 1 in 14,000- 25,000 births
during the first 3-6 months after birth (very rare)

Has the hospital/birth center seen VKDB?

Any risk factors to consider?
❖ Premature babies have an immature gut to absorb
food and vitamins well.
❖ Gallbladder or liver disease may affect Vitamin K
absorption or production.
❖ Medications can affect Vitamin K absorption or
production.
❖ Circumcision or other surgical procedures

Does my baby have any medical conditions?

 What if I breastfeed my baby?
❖ Low amounts of Vitamin K are found in breastmilk
❖ Idiopathic VKDB occurs primarily in breast fed
babies
❖ Secondary VKDB occurs primarily in breast fed
babies due to an underlying disorder
❖ Eating a Vitamin K rich diet hasn’t been proved
scientifically
 What if I formula feed my baby?
❖ Vitamin K1 is found in most formulas
❖ Formula fed babies have 100 times more Vitamin
K when compared to breastfed babies
❖ VKDB rarely to never happens in formula fed
babies

How much VItamin K is in our formula?

Injection or Oral Vitamin K?
❖ Injection Vitamin K can cause pain or bruising
❖ Oral Vitamin K has less effectiveness (late VKDB)
❖ Injections absorb slowly over time
❖ Oral supplementation requires 3 doses at least
❖ Serious adverse reactions to injections are rare
❖ No known adverse reactions to oral supplement
❖ Injection Vitamin K FDA approved
❖ Oral Vitamin K not FDA approved
 Are the ingredients to the shot safe?
❖ The main ingredient in both is Vitamin K1
❖ The inactive ingredients in the preservative free
version are at low levels that they are considered safe
❖ The ingredients in the preservative version are at low
enough levels that they are considered safe
❖ Preservative-free version is mostly used in the USA

Which shot does my provider use?

 Final Client questions
❖ Do I want more information?
❖ What happens if we wait or decline Vitamin K?
❖ What signs do I need to watch for VKDB?
❖ What benefits my baby the best?
❖ What option feels more comfortable for me?
 References
Controversies Concerning Vitamin K and the Newborn. (2003). Pediatrics, 112(1), 191–192. doi:
10.1542/peds.112.1.191

Callahan, A. (2015, November 9). Are the Ingredients in the Newborn Vitamin K Shot Safe?
Retrieved November 24, 2019, from
https://scienceofmom.com/2015/11/09/are-the-ingredients-in-the-newborn-vitamin-k-shot-safe/.

Dekker, R. (2019, June 28). Evidence on: The Vitamin K Shot in Newborns. Retrieved from
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-the-vitamin-k-shot-in-newborns/.

Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin K. (2019, July 10). Retrieved from

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminK-HealthProfessional/.

Shearer, M. J. (2009). Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) in early infancy. Blood Reviews, 23(2),
49–59. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2008.06.001

What is Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding? (2018, December 26). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/vitamink/facts.html.