Does a newborn really need the Vitamin K vaccine? Let's find out for sure!

A new baby joining the family is a great joy. But at the same time, new parents are very curious about small things, and sometimes even a little scared. There is one injection that doctors give to babies as soon as they are born, and that is the Vitamin K injection. You may be wondering, "What is this Vitamin K? Why is it being given to my baby as soon as he is born?" Well, that's what we are going to answer in this article today. This is a very simple, yet very important thing.

Let's first see, who is this Vitamin K?

Simply put, vitamin K is an essential nutrient for our bodies. Just like a car needs oil, our bodies need vitamin K to function properly. The main and most important thing it does is help blood clot .

Imagine that when you cut your finger, the bleeding stops after a while. That's what blood clotting is. What happens is that the blood thickens a little, seals the cut, and stops the bleeding. One of the main things that helps with this is vitamin K.

In addition to this important job, vitamin K helps with other things:

• Heal wounds quickly: Wounds heal quickly once the bleeding stops.
• Strengthen bones: Vitamin K also helps keep our bones strong.
• Protect against heart disease: This also helps with heart health.

How do we get this vitamin K? Mainly from green vegetables. Things like spinach, cabbage, kale, broccoli, and lettuce are rich in vitamin K. In addition, the good bacteria in our intestines also produce vitamin K.

So why do newborn babies have a deficiency in this?

Here's the important point. Adults don't usually develop a vitamin K deficiency easily. But newborns can be especially susceptible to this. There are several reasons for this.

1. Mother's intake is low during pregnancy: Unlike other vitamins, vitamin K is only passed through the placenta to the baby in very small amounts. Therefore, the baby's body stores of vitamin K are very low when it is born.

2. The baby's intestines are still young: We mentioned earlier that the bacteria in the intestines make vitamin K. So the newborn baby's intestinal system is not yet fully developed for this task. It takes some time for those bacteria to develop properly and make vitamin K.

3. Breast milk is low in vitamin K: Breast milk is the best food for a baby. There is no doubt about that. However, breast milk naturally contains very low levels of vitamin K. Vitamin K is added to formula milk later, but the amount in breast milk may not be enough for the baby.

For these three reasons, a newborn baby is at risk of developing vitamin K deficiency. We call this condition Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).This can happen at any time within the first 6 months of a baby's life.

What are the types of vitamin K deficiency?

Depending on the time this condition affects the baby, we divide it into three main types. It is important for you to know this.

How do I know if my baby has a vitamin K deficiency?

The main symptom of this is uncontrollable bleeding . But sometimes the symptoms are not so obvious. As a mother, you need to be very careful about this.

Who is at increased risk for this condition?

This risk is a little higher for some babies.

• Babies who were not vaccinated with vitamin K at birth: This is the main risk factor. Studies have found that babies who are not vaccinated with vitamin K are about 80 times more likely to develop late-onset vitamin K deficiency than babies who are vaccinated.
• Exclusively breastfed babies: As we mentioned earlier, breast milk is low in vitamin K, so these babies are at risk if they don't get the vaccine. (This is not to say that breastfeeding should be stopped. Giving vitamin K while breastfeeding is the best solution).
• Babies with liver disease: Some babies are unable to use vitamin K properly due to congenital liver disease.
• Certain medical conditions: Babies with medical conditions that reduce the body's ability to absorb vitamins, such as diarrhea, cystic fibrosis, or celiac disease, are also at higher risk.

How do doctors diagnose and treat this?

When you take your baby to the hospital, the first thing the doctor will do is ask you carefully about your baby's symptoms. Then they will examine the baby.

To confirm this condition, a blood test is done. It is called a prothrombin time test (PT) . This measures how long it takes for the baby's blood to clot. If there is a deficiency of vitamin K, the clotting time will be much longer.

The treatment is very simple. It is to give a vitamin K injection (phytonadione) . This injection is injected into the baby's thigh muscle. After this is given, the baby's condition will improve significantly within 24 hours.

If the condition is serious, meaning the baby has lost a lot of blood, it may be necessary to give blood and plasma .

Is the Vitamin K vaccine safe for babies?

Yes. It is definitely safe. This is the most important thing every parent needs to know. Thousands of studies conducted around the world since the 1990s have confirmed the safety of this vaccine.

The possible side effects of this are very minor.

• The injection site may hurt a little.
• The skin in that area may become slightly red or a small bruise may form.

These will disappear completely in a day or two.

When this vaccine is given at birth, the baby's liver stores the vitamin K. It then gradually releases it into the blood. This vaccine provides the necessary amount of vitamin K until the baby starts eating solid foods (usually 4-6 months).

Questions to ask your doctor

If something like this happens, you can ask the doctor these questions.

• "Doctor, is there any underlying disease that is causing this condition in my baby?"
• "Do you need to keep the baby in the hospital?"
• "What should I do to add vitamin K to my baby's food going forward?"
• "Will this condition have long-term effects on my baby?"

Vitamin K deficiency is a very scary thing for a mother to hear. But the most important thing is that if it is detected early, it is a completely curable disease. It is also a very easily preventable disease. The best, safest, and only way to do it is to give the baby a vitamin K injection, which the doctor will give you as soon as the baby is born.