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Vitamin K in infancy

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Abstract

Vitamin K has regained paediatric interest due to a recurrence of bleeding caused by deficiency of the vitamin in newborns and young infants. Increasing awareness of these clinical problems, the development of new methods for the detection of vitamin K deficiency and the direct measurement of vitamin K in tissues have stimulated research. Much new data obtained from these studies has proved helpful to the understanding of vitamin K deficiency in infancy. For example low concentrations of vitamin K have been found in fetal and neonatal livers. The implications of these findings with respect to manifest vitamin K deficiency and to new methods for detection of subclinical vitamin K deficiency are discussed. Breast-feeding is a major risk factor for classical haemorrhagic disease of the newborn and for late onset bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency in young infants. The interdependencies between breast-feeding and vitamin K deficiency are discussed on the basis of new data obtained from direct measurement of vitamin K in maternal milk. The review further focusses on pathophysiological concepts of bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency in infancy and current concepts of vitamin K prophylaxis.

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Abbreviations

HDN:

haemorrhagic disease of newborn

LHDN:

late haemorrhagic disease of newborn

PIVKA II:

Protein induced by vitamin K absence or inhibition for prothrombin (factor II)

HPLC-UV:

high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet light absorption

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Allgemeine Pädiatrie, Neonatologie und Gastroenterologie, Zentrum für Kinderheilkunde der Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, D-4000, Düsseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany

    R. v. Kries

  2. Department of Haematology, Guy's Hospital, London

    M. J. Shearer

  3. United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals, London

    M. J. Shearer

  4. Abteilung für pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie, Zentrum für Kinderheilkunde der Universität Düsseldorf, Schlossmannhaus, Moorenstrasse 5, D-4000, Düsseldorf 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    U. Göbel

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  1. R. v. Kries
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  2. M. J. Shearer
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  3. U. Göbel
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Kries, R.v., Shearer, M.J. & Göbel, U. Vitamin K in infancy. Eur J Pediatr 147, 106–112 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442204

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