[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.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kobe City General Hospital.
H
H
Shimada
K
K
Himeno
T
T
Michimoto
S
S
Tanada
M
M
Ikeuchi
M
M
Suwa
Y
Y
Ono
T
T
Hoshino
E
E
Takashima
K
K
Ohkura
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