title: Intracranial haemorrhage is linked to late onset vitamin K deficiency in infants aged 2-24 weeks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Late vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) can be serious and manifest as early onset intracranial haemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed to determine the frequency of ICH in relation to vitamin K deficiency and the outcome in infants aged two to 24 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hospital-based study was conducted in two main tertiary hospitals in Cairo, Egypt, from May 2011 to May 2012 with 40 patients with ICH and 50 age-matched controls without ICH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients with ICH were recruited, 19 were excluded for clinical reasons and the remaining 21 had a significantly low vitamin K level. Exclusive breast feeding (81% of patients), diarrhoea lasting more than 1 week (38.1%) and antibiotic consumption within a week before the development of ICH (57.1%) were more common in the patients than in the control group (p value>0.05, <0.01 and <0.01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high frequency of ICH due to late VKDB was reported in Egyptian infants aged two to 24 weeks, with poorer outcomes than international studies. A national survey is required to evaluate the timing and protective value of a second booster vitamin K dose to reduce ICH, especially in high-risk patients in this age group.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: M S
authors: MS
authors: Elalfy
authors: I A
authors: IA
authors: Elagouza
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Ibrahim
authors: S K
authors: SK
authors: AbdElmessieh
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gadallah
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006475:Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D014812:Vitamin K
keywords: Intracranial haemorrhage; Late vitamin K deficiency bleeding; Vitamin K