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The CDC has identified a cluster of newborns in Tennessee with late vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), according to preliminary findings published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
VKDB is a serious bleeding disorder that can cause bleeding in the brain.
RELATED: Hematological Disorders Resource Center
Four cases of late VKDB were reported at a hospital in Nashville, TN between February–September 2013. Three infants exhibited bleeding within the brain, and one infant exhibited gastrointestinal bleeding. Each of the newborn’s parents declined vitamin K injection at birth, which prevents VKDB.
If VKDB is left untreated, it may lead to possibly fatal neurological problems. The risk for developing late VKDB has been estimated at 81 times greater among infants who do not receive a vitamin K injection at birth than in infants who do receive it.
The CDC reported that a case-control study is underway to identify any additional risk factors that might contribute to the development of late VKDB in infants that do not receive vitamin K at birth.
For more information call (800) 232-4636 or visit the MMWR page.
