Related Experiment Videos
Vitamin K, an update for the paediatrician
Myriam Van Winckel1, Ruth De Bruyne, Saskia Van De Velde
1Department of Paediatrics, UZ Gent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. myriam.vanwinckel@ugent.be
European Journal of Pediatrics
|November 5, 2008
Summary
Vitamin K prophylaxis for newborns prevents bleeding. Intramuscular administration is more effective than oral for exclusively breastfed infants, though further research is needed for specific populations.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin K is essential for blood coagulation and calcium homeostasis.
- Newborns are at high risk for vitamin K deficiency due to limited placental transfer and low levels in breast milk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on vitamin K for pediatricians.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different vitamin K prophylaxis strategies in newborns.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological studies on vitamin K administration routes and dosing.
- Analysis of data on vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) prevention.
Main Results:
- Vitamin K prophylaxis at birth effectively prevents VKDB.
- Intramuscular (i.m.) administration of 1 mg vitamin K is effective for both early and late VKDB prevention.
- Oral prophylaxis requires continued dosing for exclusively breastfed infants to prevent late VKDB; single oral doses are insufficient.
- Infants with unrecognized liver disease may not be fully protected by standard prophylaxis.
Conclusions:
- Further research is required to establish optimal vitamin K dosing for preterm infants and those with fat malabsorption or cholestasis.
- The role of vitamin K in osteoporosis prevention warrants further investigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
01:30Vitamins
Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced in our...
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
01:18Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...