Vitamin K is synthesized in the gut, and is responsible for (among many things) the clotting of blood. Compared to adult levels, all babies are born with a “deficiency” of vitamin K. This is the way ALL babies are made, and there is likely a very good reason for it. One possible reason is that because vitamin K helps cells multiply (like as the baby is forming and growing), a surplus of vitamin K might contribute to the overgrowth of cells which we have come to know as cancer. In any case, should we be supplementing a newborn’s body with an overload of any vitamin or mineral? What might the long term effects of this be?
For most babies, this “lack” of vitamin K at birth is not a problem, and as the meconium clears out of the bowels their guts are able to start making their own appropriate supply of this vitamin. But because the levels are “low” to start, all hospitals administer a vitamin K injection after birth in hopes of helping the baby’s blood to clot in event of a hemorrhage-especially one that would not be visible, such as bleeding in the brain.
The risks associated with the intramuscular injection of vitamin K are debated. There have been links between the shot and childhood leukemia, although just as many oppositions contest this relationship. The oral form of vitamin K comes in dropper form, and has not been associated with this cancer risk. However, it is more difficult to ensure the correct dosages are given at the correct times, usually administered by the parents.
Despite popular belief, supplementing the mother’s diet with VK rich-foods so that she is able to pass on extra VK through her breastmilk does not prevent this deficiency in the baby after birth. Studies have shown that the VK in colostrum and breastmilk stays level, and that a maternal diet with a high fat content may actually be the best way for a mom to provide her baby with extra VK. In any case, a healthy, well-rounded pregnancy diet helps ensure that mom is proving her baby with exactly what it needs to grow properly.
Most babies do not have the need for supplemental VK, but some truly do have a disorder- Vitamin K Deficiency of the Newborn (VKDN). 1 in 10,000 babies will develop VKDN, and it is preventable with an injection or oral doses of VK.
For some reason, these babies may have an absorption problem (like cystic fibrosis) or a liver disorder that interferes with the VK synthesis, and are more likely to hemorrhage. Babies whose mothers have been on antibiotics or anti-seizure medications also seem to be more at risk. Some see VKDN as a problem that has been created with immediate cutting of the umbilical cord after birth and birth traumas with forceps or vacuum extractors (cutting the cord too soon deprives the baby of 40% of his/her blood volume). Other risk factors are preterm, low-birthweight babies. Symptoms of VKDN are:
bruising (unexplained or abnormal)
blood in urine or stool
bleeding from umbilicus or circumcision site
severe jaundice for more than 1 week, persistent jaundice for more than 2 weeks
Sources:
Myles, Textbook for Midwives(833)
http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/vitamin-K-deficiency.php
http://onyx-ii.com/birthsong/page.cfm?vitamink
http://www.womens-health.co.uk/vitk.asp
