Vitamin-K-Prophylaxe bei Neugeborenen - Update 2013: Empfehlung der Ernährungskommission der ÖGKJ (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde)

Background: Vitamin K prophylaxis administered to newborns prevents rare but potentially serious and sometimes fatal hemorrhage due to vitamin K deficiency. Recommended vitamin K prophylaxis: For many years in Austria it has been recommended that all newborns should receive vitamin K and the present recommendations update in particular practical issues and questions. For healthy term newborns and orally fed preterm infants vitamin K should be given orally immediately after birth, after 4-6 days and after 4-6 weeks. Preterm infants with a birth weight less than 1,000 g should receive 500 μg vitamin K administered intramuscularly or intravenously after birth, preterm infants with a birth weight between 1,000 and 1,500 g should initially receive 1,000 μg. For both groups it is recommended that afterwards 8-10 μg/kg body weight/day should be administered parenterally. At the age of 4 weeks or prior to discharge all infants should again receive an oral prophylaxis of 2 mg vitamin K. For mothers on medications interfering with vitamin K metabolism (e.g. antiepileptic drugs, oral anticoagulants, antibiotics or antituberculostatics) 20 mg vitamin K is recommended during the final 15-30 days of pregnancy.