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Vitamin K

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly. Vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables. Vitamin K is also made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.

Vitamin K deficiency is very rare and occurs when there is an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract. Vitamin K deficiency can also occur after prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics.

Vitamin K Deficiency

Individuals with vitamin K deficiency usually have an increased propensity to bruising and bleeding. Because parenteral vitamin K has been shown to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) of the newborn and young infant and the risks of cancer have been unproven, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:

Vitamin K1 should be given to all newborns as a single, intramuscular dose of 0.5 to 1 mg (American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1992).
Additional research should be conducted on the efficacy, safety, and bioavailability of oral formulations and optimal dosing regimens of vitamin K to prevent late vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Health care professionals should promote awareness among families of the risks of late vitamin K deficiency bleeding associated with inadequate vitamin K prophylaxis from current oral dosage regimens, particularly for newborns who are breastfed exclusively.