One dose of vitamin K reduced clinical bleeding at 1 - 7 days , including bleeding after circumcision , and improved biochemical indices of coagulation status .
There was no evidence of a difference between the oral and intramuscular route in effects on biochemical indices of coagulation status .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS A single dose ( 1.0 mg ) of intramuscular vitamin K after birth is effective in the prevention of classic HDN .
Either intramuscular or oral ( 1.0 mg ) vitamin K prophylaxis improves biochemical indices of coagulation status at 1 - 7 days .
Neither intramuscular nor oral vitamin K has been tested in r and omized trials with respect to effect on late HDN .
Oral vitamin K , either single or multiple dose , has not been tested in r and omized trials for its effect on either classic or late HDN
BACKGROUND  Vitamin K deficiency can cause bleeding in an infant in the first weeks of life .
This is known as Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn ( HDN ) .
HDN is divided into three categories : early , classic and late HDN .
Early HDN occurs within 24 hours post partum and falls outside the scope of this review .
Classic HDN occurs on days one to seven ; common bleeding sites are gastrointestinal , cutaneous , nasal and from a circumcision .
Late HDN occurs from week 2 - 12 ; the most common bleeding sites are intracranial , cutaneous , and gastrointestinal .
Vitamin K is commonly given prophylactically after birth for the prevention of HDN , but the preferred route is uncertain .
OBJECTIVES To review the evidence from r and omized trials in order to determine the effectiveness of vitamin K prophylaxis in the prevention of classic and late HDN .
Main questions are : Is one dose of vitamin K , given after birth , able to significantly reduce the incidence of classic and late HDN ?
Is there a significant difference between the oral route and the intramuscular route in preventing classic and late HDN ?
Are multiple oral doses of vitamin K , given after birth , able to significantly reduce the incidence of classic and late HDN ?
A new mixed micellar preparation for oral vitamin K prophylaxis: randomised controlled comparison with an intramuscular formulation in breast fed infants
OBJECTIVE To compare a new oral preparation of vitamin K1 ( Konakion MM ) containing lecithin and glycocholic acid with a st and ard intramuscular ( IM ) preparation during the first 8 weeks of life in exclusively breast fed infants . METHODS Infants were r and omised at birth to the IM group ( 1 mg vitamin K )  or the oral group  ( 2 mg given at birth and repeated at 7 and 30 days of life ) . Prothrombin time ( INR ) , plasma vitamin K1 , and PIVKA II ( undercarboxylated prothrombin ) were monitored at 14 , 30 , and 56 days of age . RESULTS Seventy nine infants were r and omised to the oral group and 77 to the IM group . Sixty seven infants in each group completed eight weeks of the study . Prothrombin times did not differ between the two groups . Mean ( SD ) plasma vitamin K1values ( in ng/ml ) decreased in both groups over time , but were higher in the oral group at 14 and 56 days : 2.0 ( 1.6 ) v 1.3 ( 1.1 ) at 14 days ; 0.5 ( 0.3 ) v 0.5 ( 0.7 ) at 30 days ; and 0.5 ( 0.8 ) v 0.2 ( 0.2 ) at 56 days of life . PIVKA II was raised ( ⩾ 0.1 AU/ml ) in cord blood in 47 % of the infants . By 14 days , only one infant in each group had a raised PIVKA II value and both of these initially had high concentrations of PIVKA II in cord blood . At 30 days , there were no raised PIVKA II values . At 56 days , there were no raised PIVKA II values in the oral group , although three infants in the IM group had raised values . CONCLUSIONS Plasma vitamin K concentrations were at least equal or significantly higher in babies given oral vitamin K supplements compared with IM treated babies at the time points measured . Through the first 8 weeks of life , multiple doses of the new oral preparation maintain haemostasis and vitamin K status in breast fed infants at least equal to that of the intramuscular preparation
One dose of vitamin K reduced clinical bleeding at 1 - 7 days , including bleeding after circumcision , and improved biochemical indices of coagulation status .
There was no evidence of a difference between the oral and intramuscular route in effects on biochemical indices of coagulation status .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS A single dose ( 1.0 mg ) of intramuscular vitamin K after birth is effective in the prevention of classic HDN .
Either intramuscular or oral ( 1.0 mg ) vitamin K prophylaxis improves biochemical indices of coagulation status at 1 - 7 days .
Neither intramuscular nor oral vitamin K has been tested in r and omized trials with respect to effect on late HDN .
Oral vitamin K , either single or multiple dose , has not been tested in r and omized trials for its effect on either classic or late HDN
BACKGROUND  Vitamin K deficiency can cause bleeding in an infant in the first weeks of life .
This is known as Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn ( HDN ) .
HDN is divided into three categories : early , classic and late HDN .
Early HDN occurs within 24 hours post partum and falls outside the scope of this review .
Classic HDN occurs on days one to seven ; common bleeding sites are gastrointestinal , cutaneous , nasal and from a circumcision .
Late HDN occurs from week 2 - 12 ; the most common bleeding sites are intracranial , cutaneous , and gastrointestinal .
Vitamin K is commonly given prophylactically after birth for the prevention of HDN , but the preferred route is uncertain .
OBJECTIVES To review the evidence from r and omized trials in order to determine the effectiveness of vitamin K prophylaxis in the prevention of classic and late HDN .
Main questions are : Is one dose of vitamin K , given after birth , able to significantly reduce the incidence of classic and late HDN ?
Is there a significant difference between the oral route and the intramuscular route in preventing classic and late HDN ?
Are multiple oral doses of vitamin K , given after birth , able to significantly reduce the incidence of classic and late HDN ?