Vitamin K deficiency is a spontaneous bleeding disorder of infancy characterized by intracranial hemorrhage. It is the most common form of intracranial hemorrhage in infancy not due to trauma. It occurs in the first 2-3 months of life, often with a sudden onset, and is characterized by multiple intracranial, cutaneous, and digestive tract occurrences. Although the incidence of this disease has decreased significantly in recent years due to the routine prophylaxis of vitamin K1 injections at birth, it is still seen sporadically in patients attending outpatient clinics. In view of the preventability of the disease and the seriousness of the consequences, here we will give a brief introduction to the disease and explain the preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce the unfortunate occurrence. Vitamin K deficiency bleeding is a self-limiting bleeding disorder caused by a decrease in the activity of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors in the body. The main causes of vitamin K deficiency in newborns include: 1. Low liver stores: maternal vitamin K rarely enters the body due to low placental permeability to vitamin K. Stores are even lower in premature and younger-than-gestational-age infants; 2. Low synthesis: vitamin K is synthesized by the intestinal flora. Delayed breastfeeding or prolonged use of broad-spectrum antibiotics after birth can inhibit the formation of intestinal flora, thereby reducing the synthesis of vitamin K. The application of certain drugs during pregnancy by the mother can also inhibit the production of vitamin K. 3. Newborn infants, especially breastfed children, take in very little vitamin K from food. 4.Little absorption. In case of hepatobiliary disease, congenital biliary atresia or chronic diarrhea, the absorption of vitamin K is reduced. Prevention of this disease: If the mother took drugs that inhibit vitamin K synthesis during pregnancy, she should be given vitamin K 110mg intramuscularly once 24 hours before delivery. Newborns should be given vitamin K11mg intramuscularly once immediately after birth and repeated once 24 hours after birth. Exclusively breastfed infants should be given vitamin K1 orally once a week at 1 mg for the first 3 months after birth to prevent late-onset vitamin K deficiency. Parents need to seek medical attention in the event of suspected spontaneous hemorrhage, especially if accompanied by abnormal mental status.
Intracranial hemorrhage caused by this disease can occur in the subarachnoid space, subdural space, intracerebroventricular space, and brain parenchyma. If the hemorrhage occurs in the subarachnoid or subdural space and the amount is small, the prognosis is good. However, the disease is often associated with massive hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma, which is often not detected in time and therefore often results in serious consequences, such as cerebral infarction, cerebral softening and other sequelae, leading to cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hemiplegia and other disabilities. If this disease is suspected, CT or MRI examinations are required. In view of the general lack of medical knowledge in China and the current lack of health follow-up for newborns, this disease still occurs from time to time, so parents who are new parents must be alert to this disease and pay attention to its prevention.