[Prevention of vitamin K deficiency in the early neonatal period--prophylactic oral administration of VK to the mother].
We studied the effect of vitamin K(MK-4) on the prevention of vitamin K deficiency in the early neonatal period. MK-4 (20 mg/day) was given orally for 1-7 days to 183 pregnant women at 37-39 weeks gestation. In the MK-4 treated group, there were no cases of melena neonatorum but there were 9 cases in the untreated group (9/757, 1.2%). To investigate the influence of MK-4 administration on liver function and the VK dependent coagulation system, maternal and umbilical venous blood were taken to measure T-Bil, GOT, GPT, gamma-GTP, LDH, and II, VII, X activity and HPT. There was no significant difference between these values in MK-treated and untreated groups. MK-4 concentrations were measured in the maternal and umbilical venous blood of 68 subjects. The level of MK-4 in umbilical venous blood was less than 0.1 ng/ml in 17 of 21 subjects not treated with MK-4 but it was over 0.1 ng/ml in 30 of 47 MK-4 treated subjects. However, no MK-4 was detected in 6 of 8 subjects who were treated for 1 day. The level of MK-4 in maternal blood was less than 0.1 ng/ml in 12 of 21 untreated subjects but it was 0.19-92.6 ng/ml in all of the 47 MK-4 treated subjects. The mean MK-4 concentration in cord blood as a percentage of that in maternal blood was 17.9%. These findings indicate that MK-4 is effectively transported from maternal to fetal blood through the placenta and its administration to pregnant women is useful in preventing melena neonatorum.
Shimada
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kobe City General Hospital.
Himeno
K
K
Michimoto
T
T
Tanada
S
S
Ikeuchi
M
M
Suwa
M
M
Ono
Y
Y
Hoshino
T
T
Takashima
E
E
Ohkura
K
K
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014813:Vitamin K Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D014812:Vitamin K