Editorials

Neonatal vitamin K prophylaxis: the Gordian knot still awaits untying

Since 1990 the issue has remained unresolved of whether prophylactic vitamin K, given to newborn infants to prevent bleeding, causes childhood cancer. Four more studies appear in this week's issue. Do they finally conclude the vitamin K and cancer story?

When I went into paediatrics some 20 years ago vitamin K prophylaxis was not an issue. In Germany at least almost all newborn infants who required medical care and many who had had instrumental deliveries were given 1 mg of vitamin K intramuscularly, whereas the practice in healthy infants varied. Altogether only about half of all live births received intramuscular vitamin K, but vitamin K deficiency bleeding did not seem to be major problem until an apparently new condition—late vitamin K deficiency bleeding—emerged in Europe in the early 1980s.¹

About half the cases with late vitamin K deficiency bleeding presented with intracranial haemorrhage. The condition was confined mainly to breast . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Health authority was never influenced by party political pressure

Sonia D Alexander
BMJ 1998 317: 352. [Extract] [Full Text]

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• Thomas, M. W., Gebara, B. M. (2004). Difficulty Breathing. CLIN PEDIATR 43: 499-502  
• von Kries, R, Hachmeister, A, Gobel, U (2003). Oral mixed micellar vitamin K for prevention of late vitamin K deficiency bleeding. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 88: F109-F112 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Wariyar, U., Hilton, S., Pagan, J., Tin, W., Hey, E. (2000). Six years' experience of prophylactic oral vitamin K. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 82: 64F-68 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• TRIPP, J H, MCNINCH, A W (1998). The vitamin K debacle: cut the Gordian knot but first do no harm. Arch. Dis. Child. 79: 295-297 [Full text]  
• Alexander, S. D (1998). Health authority was never influenced by party political pressure. BMJ 317: 352b-352 [Full text]  
• (1998). NEONATAL VITAMIN K AND CHILDHOOD MALIGNANCY. JWatch General 1998: 2-2 [Full text]