Vitamin K Injection Site For Newborns
Vitamin k deficiency can account for vitamin k deficiency bleeding vkdb which occurs in 3 forms early classic and late.
Vitamin k injection site for newborns. Giving vitamin k by injection provides the best protection for your baby. Vitamin k should be administered to all neonates at birth or immediately afterwards. Therefore vitamin k should be injected into. Does circumcision increase the need for vitamin k injection.
The anterolateral thigh is the preferred site for im injection in infants under 12 months of age. Intramuscular im injections in neonates may be required to administer medications or vaccines. It is your choice whether or not your baby receives vitamin k and whether it is given by injection or by mouth. Vitamin k injections remain the best preventive measure for reducing the risk of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
Before having a baby most parents don t give much thought to the vitamin k injection shot for their newborn. Some babies have a slight soreness for a day or so at the injection site. However the protocols for administration route of administration dosage number of doses remain a subject of discussion. It s recommended that all newborn babies should receive vitamin k at birth mcninch and tripp 1991.
Vitamin k injections have been routinely given in australia for over 20 years with no ill effects at the time of the injection or later. In the uk you ll be offered vitamin k as an injection for your baby. Unfortunately circumcision often takes place when vitamin k levels in the infant are lowest during days 2 and 3 of life shearer 2009. This brochure is based on the joint statement and recommendations on vitamin k administration to newborn infants to prevent vitamin k deficiency bleeding in infancy that was re issued by the national health.
Medications are injected into the bulkiest part of the vastus lateralis thigh muscle which is the junction of the upper and middle thirds of this muscle. Circumcision sites are frequently listed as a site of bleeding when infants have classical first week vkdb. It s just not something that is talked about during prenatal checkups even though babies have been routinely given this important shot at birth since the practice was first recommended by the american academy of pediatrics in 1961. The injectable form of vitamin k can rarely cause severe sometimes fatal allergic reactions when given by injection into a muscle or vein.
If you prefer they can have it orally instead although they will need further doses puckett and offringa 2000.