Contents:
- Medical Video: Baby born with rare blood clotting disorder Vitamin K related!
- What is the function of Vitamin K for the body?
- Why do newborns experience vitamin K deficiency?
- Bleeding due to lack of vitamin K in newborns can result in death
- Various levels of infant bleeding due to lack of vitamin K
- Symptoms of internal bleeding in the body of a newborn baby
- How to prevent babies from bleeding due to lack of vitamin K?
Medical Video: Baby born with rare blood clotting disorder Vitamin K related!
Babies need various vitamins, minerals, and various other nutrients to support their growth and development. In the womb, all these nutrients are obtained from the mother's body, and when they are born, these nutrients are obtained from breastfeeding. But did you know that babies born are prone to vitamin K deficiency which can cause bleeding and even death?
What is the function of Vitamin K for the body?
Vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins that plays a role in the process of blood clotting, prevents bleeding, and helps in the synthesis of proteins in blood plasma, bone, and kidneys. Basically vitamin K is divided into two types, namely, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 can be found in various ingredients of green leafy vegetables, while vitamin K2 is contained in beef, cheese, and eggs. In addition, vitamin K2 can actually be produced by bacteria in the body's digestive system. Vitamin K deficiency can cause a variety of things, such as bleeding and disorders of bone health.
Why do newborns experience vitamin K deficiency?
Newborns are very vulnerable to vitamin K deficiency. When in the womb, babies do not get enough vitamin K, because vitamin K from the mother is difficult to pass through the placenta. In addition, newborns do not have a good collection of bacteria in their digestive system, so they cannot produce vitamin K themselves. Plus, the vitamin K content in breast milk is not large enough, so even breastfed babies can experience vitamin K deficiency. Therefore newborns are prone to bleeding due to lack of vitamin K, which is often referred to as vitamin K bleeding deficiency (VKDB).
Bleeding due to lack of vitamin K in newborns can result in death
When a baby experiences bleeding due to lack of vitamin K, akavitamin K bleeding deficiency (VKDB), the baby's body will not stop bleeding because his body is not able to freeze blood due to lack of vitamin K. This bleeding can occur in various parts of the body, inside or outside. Bleeding will be difficult to detect when it occurs in the body or in one of the baby's organs. However, usually babies with VKDB experience bleeding in the digestive system or brain which can cause brain damage, even death. This bleeding can occur from a newborn until the baby is able to eat complementary foods when he is 6 months old. At that time, the food that enters the baby's body for the first time will "activate" the good bacteria in the digestive system and then trigger it to produce vitamin K.
Various levels of infant bleeding due to lack of vitamin K
VKDB events are divided into groups, depending on the level of deficiency that occurs and the age of the baby when experiencing VKDB, namely:
- Initial VKDB, occurs in infants aged 0 to 24 hours after birth. In this group, the level of deficiency in vitamin K is severe and the risk increases if the mother consumes some drugs that treat seizures.
- Classic VKDB, occurs 1 to 7 days after birth. Symptoms that can be seen are bruises on the baby's body and the most frequent bleeding is in the intestine.
- VKDB is late, which is a bleeding event that occurs 2 to 12 weeks after birth, but can also occur until the baby is 6 months old. Of the total babies who experience this type of VKDB, it is known that 30-60% experience bleeding in the brain.
The initial and classic type of VKDB is bleeding that often occurs in infants, at least 1 in 60 to 1 in 250 newborns can experience this. However, the risk of VKDB is greater in infants whose mothers consume drugs during pregnancy. While late VKDB is less common, opportunities for occurrence are 1 in 14 thousand to 1 in 25 thousand new births. In addition, newborns who do not get an additional injection of vitamin K when shortly after birth have a chance 81 times more likely to experience VKDB than babies who get injections,
Symptoms of internal bleeding in the body of a newborn baby
Unfortunately, most of the VKDB events do not cause any symptoms and signs, so parents must be more vigilant and pay attention to their babies always. However, the following are symptoms and signs that may occur in infants who experience VKDB:
- There are bruises, especially around the head and face of the baby
- Nosebleeds or bleeding in the umbilical cord
- Baby's skin turns pale from before
- After 3 weeks of life, the white eye color turns yellow
- Removes dark, sticky black stools
- Vomiting blood
- Seizures and frequent vomiting, can be suspected of bleeding in the brain.
How to prevent babies from bleeding due to lack of vitamin K?
According to the American Academy of Pediatric and the Indonesian Ministry of Health, prevention of bleeding due to lack of vitamin K can be done by administering additional vitamin K injections shortly after birth.
READ ALSO
- Are babies able to hear our voices in the content
- First food that should be given to infants aged 6 months
- Diligent Pregnant Women Exercising Gives Birth to Smart Babies
