Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is attributed to the deficiency of: (A) Vitamin K, (B) Vitamin A, (C) Vitamin E, (D) Vitamin C
Answer is A. • Vitamin K is produced by our gut flora. The gut of a New-born baby is sterile and hence no vitamin K is being produced.
Moreover vitamin k is negligible in breast milk. In lieu of these factors all babies are susceptible to development of Hemorrhagic disease of New-born.
• To prevent this from happening therefore, as standard operating procedure in all hospitals injection vitamin K 1 :
1 mg intramuscular is given to prevent hemorrhagic disease of new born referred to as H.D.N.
• In our country where a large number of children are born via home deliveries,
no vitamin K would be given to the child and therefore the child may be brought to the hospital on day 5 with umbilical stump bleeding.
• For management: the child should be given injection vitamin K lmg intravenously.
If bleeding is still present then FFP needs to be administered. Previous Year Questions on Topic: Bleeding Disorders in Children
• Type of vitamin K used for treatment of H.D.N= vitamin K1
• Umbilical stump bleeding in child on day 1 of life= factor 13 deficiency
• Umbilical stump bleeding in child on day 5 of life= H.D.N
• Male baby with excessive circumcision bleeding= hemophilia A
• Vaginal bleeding in a girl child on day 5 of life= No intervention required