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Podcast: Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls
Episode: IM Vit K Avoidance at Birth: Alternatives?
Description: Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDNB) was first identified over a century ago, and presents as unexpected bleeding, often with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, ecchymosis and, in many cases, intracranial hemorrhage. In newborns, HDNB is typically caused by vitamin K deficiency as neonates are innately deficient in vitamin K secondary to very little vitamin K transferred through the placenta to fetuses in utero, limited liver storage of vitamin K, and low amounts of vitamin K in breast milk. IM administration of vitamin K for prevention of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) has been a standard of care since the American Academy of...