Babies
are not able to make vitamin K on their own and they are born with very small
amounts in their bodies. Vitamin K is a very important nutrient which is needed
for blood clotting so that bleeding stops. We get vitamin K from food and it is
also made by the healthy bacteria that live in the intestines.
However, when a baby is born, his intestinal tract does not have enough healthy
bacteria to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin K. Vitamin K is not easily
transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy either. And although he can
receive some vitamin K from breast milk, it is not enough. It takes a
while for your baby to start producing his own vitamin K. Therefore, receiving
a shot of vitamin K immediately after birth helps your baby’s blood to
coagulate and clot. This assists in protecting against possible abnormal
bleeding in the body.
If
a baby does not receive a vitamin K shot soon after birth, he may be at risk
for a condition called Vitamin K deficiency bleeding or VKDB. This occurs when
a baby does not have enough vitamin K and his blood cannot clot. Not getting
enough vitamin K puts your baby at risk for bleeding into his intestines or
even brain. Babies who do not receive the vitamin K shot after birth are
actually at risk for VKDB until they are six months old.
No comments:
Post a Comment