Key result
Documented prophylactic vitamin K linked to ~10% lower risk of suspected vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Why the study?
Prophylactic vitamin K is recommended for all newborns to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding, but reports of parental refusal are increasing.
Does a lack of documented prophylactic vitamin K administration increase the risk of suspected vitamin K deficiency bleeding in full-term newborns?
Cohort (n=884,876)
Yes
Does a lack of documented prophylactic vitamin K administration increase the risk of suspected vitamin K deficiency bleeding in full-term newborns?
Odds Ratio: 0.9 (95% CI 0.82–0.98)
Absolute Event Rate: 3077% vs 3508%
p-value: p=0.018
Lack of documented prophylactic vitamin K in newborns is associated with an increased risk of suspected vitamin K deficiency bleeding, emphasizing the importance of administration and documentation.
Prophylactic vitamin K (pVitK) is recommended for all newborns to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), but reports of parental refusal are increasing. This study describes the possible drivers of no documented pVitK in a large US hospital network. This retrospective cohort study consisted of full-term newborns born between 2017 and 2022, admitted to HCA Healthcare network facilities. 884,876 newborns across 116 hospitals were included. 19,384 had no documented pVitK (2.2%). Using a multivariable model, having no documented pVitK was significantly associated with suspected VKDB bleeding ( p = 0.018). Gestational age, maternal parity, maternal race, maternal ethnicity, and insurance type were the greatest predictors of lack of documented pVitK. A lack of documented pVitK was associated with gestational age, maternal race and ethnicity, and an increased risk of suspected VKDB. This study identified areas for improved documentation and parental education.
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Bloom et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB) (n=884,876). Documented prophylactic vitamin K (pVitK) vs. No documented prophylactic vitamin K was evaluated on Suspected Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (sVKDB) (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98, p=0.018). Documented prophylactic vitamin K administration was associated with a significantly decreased risk of suspected vitamin K deficiency bleeding compared to no documentation (OR 0.90).
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