Incidence of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in Infants

Investigators from multiple Australian institutions conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the incidence of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) in infants <6 months old. Cases of VKDB were identified through monthly solicitations of pediatricians and other child health specialists participating in the Australian Pediatric Surveillance Unit, who report occurrences of several conditions of interest, including VKDB. Solicitations began in 1993 and continued through 2017. VKDB was defined as spontaneous bruising, bleeding, or intracranial hemorrhage associated with prolonged clotting times that was not due to disseminated intravascular coagulation or an inherited coagulopathy. For each VKDB case reported, pediatricians were asked to provide case demographics, clinical characteristics, lab results, type of vitamin K prophylaxis received (intramuscular [IM], …