WOMEN AND NEWBORN HEALTH SERVICE King Edward Memorial Hospital

To provide administration of prophylactic Vitamin K1 to prevent Vitamin K1 deficiency bleeding in the newborn (VKDB). BACKGROUND INFORMATION Vitamin K prophylaxis given at birth has been shown to prevent VKDB.1 The decline of vitamin K levels after birth lead to increased risk of VKDB for the neonate. The colonisation of the intestine by bacteria required to synthesis vitamin K does not occur until milk feeding is established.2 Blood clotting factors 11, V11, 1X and X require vitamin K to convert into active clotting factors, and because Vitamin K is poorly transferred across the placenta any stores are quickly depleted after birth.3 Human breast milk contains relatively low concentrations of vitamin K, therefore exclusively breast fed neonates are at increased risk for VKDB. Infant formula is supplemented by law with additional vitamin K.4 VKDB is classified according to the age of presentation4: Early VKDB Occurs within 24 hours and confined to neonates whose mothers have received medications that interfere with vitamin K metabolism.5 These include anticonvulsants phenytoin, barbiturates o