Vitamin K Prophylaxis for Newborns

Special Populations

• Preterm infants on parenteral nutrition should receive 10 μg/kg/day of vitamin K, as recommended by Clinical Nutrition 1, 2

Monitoring

• Classical coagulation tests (PT, PTT) can be used in low-risk infants for indirect evaluation of vitamin K status, though they are not specific to vitamin K deficiency, according to Clinical Nutrition 1, 2
• Undercarboxylated Serum Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins (PIVKA-II) are more useful biomarkers of subclinical vitamin K deficiency for at-risk patients, as stated by Clinical Nutrition 1, 2