Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn
| Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn | |
|---|---|
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| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | pediatrics |
| ICD-10 | P53 |
| ICD-9-CM | 776.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 29544 |
| MedlinePlus | 007320 |
| eMedicine | ped/966 |
| MeSH | D006475 |
Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn, also known as Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), is a coagulation disturbance in newborns due to vitamin K deficiency. As a consequence of vitamin K deficiency there is an impaired production of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, X, protein C and protein S by the liver.
Signs and symptoms
The disease causes an increased risk of bleeding. The most common sites of bleeding are the umbilicus, mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, circumcision and venepunctures.
Causes
Newborns are relatively vitamin K deficient for a variety of reasons. They have low vitamin K stores at birth, vitamin K passes the placenta poorly, the levels of vitamin K in breast milk are low and the gut flora has not yet been developed (vitamin K is normally produced by intestinal bacteria).
Treatment
Treatment consists of vitamin K supplementation.[1] This is often given prophylactically to newborns shortly after birth.
References
- ↑ Hubbard D, Tobias JD (November 2006). "Intracerebral hemorrhage due to hemorrhagic disease of the newborn and failure to administer vitamin K at birth". South. Med. J. 99 (11): 1216–20. doi:10.1097/01.smj.0000233215.43967.69. PMID 17195415.
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