Vitamin K deficiency bleeding 2
A second BPASU survey of vitamin K deficiency bleeding began in January 1993 to monitor the efficacy of current prophylaxis regimens. The study's objective was to re-evaluate the incidence and epidemiology of vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Lead investigator
Andrew McNinch
About the study
One of the first conditions to be studied through the BPSU network was vitamin K deficiency bleeding, which was then known as “haemorrhagic disease of the newborn”. The new term is now preferred as it is more informative and does not imply misleadingly that the condition is confined to newborn babies. There were 25 confirmed and two probable cases in the British Isles from March 1988 to February 1990. At that time, at least 60% of newborn babies received prophylaxis with intramuscular vitamin K, and 13% received no prophylaxis. Twenty of the 27 cases reported had received no prophylaxis, seven had received a single oral dose of vitamin K (Konakion {Roche}) at birth, and no cases had received intramuscular prophylaxis.
The trend towards oral rather than intramuscular prophylaxis was encouraged by reports suggesting that intramuscular vitamin K might double the risk of subsequent malignancy. Subsequent studies have failed to confirm such a risk. In 1993, a national survey of prophylaxis policies (John Barton and colleagues, unpublished observations) showed that 60% of babies received oral prophylaxis, 35% intramuscular prophylaxis, and 5% none. Most maternity units that used oral prophylaxis routinely offered multiple doses as recommended by a working party of the BPA. The rationale for repeated oral doses was that when bleeding
occurs after a single oral dose at birth, its onset was at least delayed, and doses repeated at intervals should therefore “repeatedly delay” the onset of bleeding throughout the period of risk.
A second BPASU survey of vitamin K deficiency bleeding began in January 1993 to monitor the efficacy of current prophylaxis regimens.
The study’s objective was to re-evaluate the incidence and epidemiology of vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Duration
January 1993 – December 1994
Published papers
Sutor, A.H. and Hathaway, W.E. (1995) Vitamin K in infancy : international symposium, Basel, Switzerland, 7-8 October 1994. Stuttgart, New York: Schattauer ; Editiones Roche.
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