Vitamin K Prophylaxis: Is There a Need for Policy Change?

Excerpt

The saying in medicine, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is particularly relevant to the field of pediatric neurology, because here the impact of the disease has a long-term effect on the child, family and the society at large. Hence, it is prudent that we take appropriate measures to prevent neuro-disability. One disease, seen mainly in the developing countries like India, where this is particularly important is the Hemorrhagic disease of newborn (HDN). While in the West, due to routine vitamin K supplementation, either oral or intramuscular based on the recommendation of many national guidelines, HDN is a rare entity; in our country due to various reasons, HDN continues to be a problem. Late HDN, which presents after the first week of life, mainly manifests as intracranial hemorrhage [1]. Depending on the site and amount of bleeding, it either results in mortality or life-long sequelae in the form of cerebral palsy and scar epilepsy with or without cognitive impairment. …