What is the importance of Vitamin K for infants?

- Vitamin K is necessary for the body to synthesize coagulation factors. Vitamin K is administered to the newborn infant to prevent abnormal bleeding.

Vitamin K promotes liver formation of the clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X. Newborn infants are vitamin K–deficient because the bowel does not have the bacteria necessary for synthesizing fat-soluble vitamin K. The normal flora in the intestinal tract produces vitamin K. The newborn infant’s bowel does not support the normal production of vitamin K until bacteria adequately colonize it. The bowel becomes colonized by bacteria as food is ingested.

*Vitamin K does not promote the development of immunity or prevent the infant from becoming jaundiced.