Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn

The Crohn's haemorrhagicus neonatorum is an occurring in newborns bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency.

It is a usually occurring within the first two to seven days of life of a child bleeding, which can lead to bleeding in the skin, the mucous membranes, the scalp, the navel or the brain. Almost always are children involved, who did not receive vitamin K prophylaxis. Due to the relatively low vitamin K levels of the parent ( especially if they, for example, anticonvulsant medications occupies ), the immaturity of the liver as well as the barely existing intestinal flora of the child is in this age, especially in nursing infants, a physiological vitamin K deficiency. In the laboratory, there is a prolongation of partial thromboplastin time ( PTT), thrombin time and bleeding time, and decrease of factors II, VII, IX and X.

Prophylactic therefore get all the healthy newborn vitamin K, sc, in or ( in Germany ) per os. If there is a risk that enteral absorption may not be sufficient, the application should be subcutaneous or intramuscular.

The assumption that acts carcinogenic parenterally given vitamin K, is now refuted.