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[Decreased prothrombin coagulation activities in breast-fed children?]
Insights
Fully breastfed infants show longer prothrombin clotting times on day five, indicating potential vitamin K deficiency. This highlights the need to re-evaluate vitamin K supplementation for breastfed newborns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Hematology
Context:
- Intracranial bleeding in infants is linked to vitamin K deficiency.
- Previous cases involved exclusively breastfed infants.
- Vitamin K deficiency can affect blood coagulation factors.
Purpose:
- To assess vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors in exclusively breastfed infants.
- To compare prothrombin clotting times in breastfed versus formula-fed infants.
- To investigate the need for vitamin K supplementation in neonates.
Summary:
- Prothrombin clotting times were measured in 204 healthy infants on day 5 and week 5 of life.
- On day 5, exclusively breastfed infants had significantly longer prothrombin clotting times than formula-fed infants.
- By week 5, no significant differences in clotting times were observed between feeding groups.
Impact:
- Findings suggest a potential vitamin K deficit in exclusively breastfed neonates.
- Re-evaluation of vitamin K prophylaxis for breastfed infants is warranted.
- Early detection and management of coagulation factor deficits are crucial for preventing infant bleeding events.
Abstract:
Intracranial bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency in infants without prior symptoms of disease has been reported. All of these children were fully breastfed. To evaluate a potential deficit of vitamin K dependent coagulation factors in fully breastfed infants we determined the prothrombin clotting times in healthy babies on the 5th day (n = 204) and in the 5th week of life and correlated the results to the feeding. On the fifth day of life prothrombin coagulation times in fully breastfed infants were significantly longer than in babies receiving formula exclusively or additionally. Vitamin K supply in fully breastfed neonates should therefore be reinvestigated. In the 5th week of life, however, there was no difference in prothrombin coagulation times between fully breastfed infants and infants with exclusive or supplementary formula feeding.