Administration of K Vitamin to Mother before Delivery

Abstract

Neonatal and infantile vitamin K deficiencies cause melena neonatorum and intracranial hemorrhagic disorders. There have been some suggestions as to how to prevent babies from having vitamin K deficiency. To prevent melena neonatorum, we have administered vitamin K₂ syrup(MK-4) to 15 mothers before delivery (group A), and measured MK-4 in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and breast milk. The mean MK-4 values in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and in breast milk of group A were significantly higher than those of 15 cases of age and race matched control (group B). Therefore, the method of giving vitamin K₂ syrup to mother before delivery is preferable than intramuscular injection to neonate, which involves a certain degree of danger. This preventive method is safe, and causes early and continuous transportation of MK-4 to neonate. In addition to that, it may be effective to decrease the perinatal bleeding of mother which is due to her vitamin K deficiency.