title: Vitamin K status of preterm infants with a prolonged prothrombin time.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the vitamin K status of preterm infants who have a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) in the first month of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of vitamin K status were assessed in 21 preterm infants who were found to have an abnormal PT, despite 0.2-0.5 mg vitamin K(1) prophylaxis at birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All infants had normal or supraphysiological vitamin K(1) concentrations and undetectable or, in one infant, insignificant PIVKA-II, indicating adequate vitamin K status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In preterm infants born at <32 wk gestation who received > or = 0.2 mg vitamin K(1) after delivery, a prolonged PT in the first month of life is unlikely to be due to vitamin K deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Unit, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK. paul.clarke@nnuh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Shanmuga
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: Vibha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shearer
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D010837:Vitamin K 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014813:Vitamin K Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014815:Vitamins; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D010837:Vitamin K 1; D011516:Prothrombin