Why Are Babies Given Vitamin K At Birth at Babies

Why Are Babies Given Vitamin K At Birth. What do i need to know about erythromycin? Why do we give all newborns a vitamin k shot after birth?

VITAMIN K FOR NEWBORNS
VITAMIN K FOR NEWBORNS from parenting.firstcry.com

The injection prevents vitamin k deficiency bleeding (hemorrhagic disease of the newborn). It is a bleeding problem that may occur during the first few months of life, most commonly in the baby’s brain or intestines. Vitamin k is needed for blood clotting.

VITAMIN K FOR NEWBORNS

The injection prevents vitamin k deficiency bleeding (hemorrhagic disease of the newborn). Babies have very little vitamin k in their bodies at birth because only small amounts of the vitamin pass through the placenta. So a vitamin k deficiency makes our blood less able to clot. Adults get vitamin k from food — mainly leafy green vegetables — and from bacterial synthesis in the gut.