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Vitamin K deficiency bleeding identified in 4 Tennessee newborns
A cluster of newborns with late vitamin K deficiency bleeding have been identified by the CDC in Tennessee, according to a CDC press release.
For each case, parents refused vitamin K injection at birth, mainly because they were unaware of the health benefits it offers.
“Not giving vitamin K at birth is an emerging trend that can have devastating outcomes for infants and their families,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, said in the release. “Ensuring that every newborn receives a vitamin K injection at birth is critical to protect infants.”
Four cases of late vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) were diagnosed at a hospital in Nashville from February to September. Three of the infants had bleeding within the brain and the fourth had gastrointestinal bleeding; none of the infants received a vitamin K injection at birth. All infants were previously healthy and developing normally until they experienced sudden symptomatic bleeding at age 6 to 15 weeks.
“Fortunately, all of the infants survived,” said Lauren Marcewicz, MD, an epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “It is important for health professionals to educate parents about the health benefits of vitamin K at birth.”
Vitamin K injections, first recommended in the United States in 1961 by the AAP, can prevent VKBD. The late form of VKDB can develop in infants aged 2 weeks to 6 months who did not receive vitamin K injection at birth and did not have enough vitamin K dependent proteins in their bodies to allow normal blood clotting, according to the press release. Untreated VKBD can lead to bleeding in the brain, which in turn can lead to neurological problems and even death. The risk for developing late VKDB is estimated at 81 times higher for infants who fail to receive a vitamin K injection at birth vs. those who receive an injection.
The CDC and the Tennessee Department of Health continue to work together to determine whether other cases of late VKDB occurred in the state in recent years.
For more information, see the full report in MMWR.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
