nutritional disorders
Vitamin K Deficiency
Etiology of Vitamin K Deficiency
Neonatesare prone to vitamin K deficiency because of the following: The placenta transmits lipids and vitamin K relatively poorly. The neonatal liver is immature with respect to prothrombin synthesis. Breast milk is low in vitamin K, containing about 2.5 mcg/L (cow’s milk contains 5000 mcg/L). The neonatal gut is sterile during the first few days of life. Inadults,vitamin K deficiency can result from Fat malabsorption (eg, due to Choledocholithiasis and Cholangitis , Coumarin anticoagulants interfere with the synthesis of vitamin–K dependent coagulation proteins (factors II, VII, IX, and X) in the liver. Certain antibiotics (particularly some cephalosporins and other broad-spectrum antibiotics), salicylates, megadoses ofvitamin E, and hepatic insufficiency increase risk of bleeding in patients with vitamin K deficiency. Inadequate intake of vitamin K is unlikely to cause symptoms. 