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Vitamin K - research into how it is administered to newborn babies

7 replies

CathW99 · 05/06/2009 17:06

I have been asked by staff at a local hospital to "test the water" about vitamin K and how it is administered. The hospital in question administers vitamin K orally and then follow-ups are done by community staff at 6 and 28 days when necessary, also orally. However, NICE guidelines are that it should be administered intra-muscularly by injection in the thigh. Staff at the hospital have asked how mothers would respond to a change from oral to injections. If anyone could give me feedback on this I'd be most grateful. Thanks.

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lljkk · 05/06/2009 17:08

Injection was nice because it was over and done with quickly (avoiding extra appointments, things to check on).

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thirdname · 05/06/2009 17:15

well, oral was given just by me.
more important is to know how well oral vit k is absorbed. because of problems with dc3 was strongely advised to have im injection

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pavlovthecat · 05/06/2009 17:18

think this should probably be in media or similar?

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LynetteScavo · 05/06/2009 17:21

I researched this before DS1 was born, and decided injection was best option. As far as I know our local hostpital still adminiters VK by injection - surely they have some nation statistics/research to go by?

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paisleyleaf · 05/06/2009 17:23

It's that 28 days dose that I think there would be a problem with here.
We saw MW for first few days, but then no-one.
Only HV if I decided to go to drop in clinic.

If the staffing isn't a problem at all where you are then I don't know. I don't know enough about the guidelines.

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dal21 · 05/06/2009 17:54

I would prefer injection route. I was offered the choice of both. Went for injection because LO's can be so sicky - if they are a little sick just after you have administered an oral dose, there is no way of knowing if they have absorbed it or thrown it all back up.
DS was given one injection when skin to skin with me - far preferred that.

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CathW99 · 05/06/2009 18:59

I think the issue with the hospital was how much resistence there would be by parents to changing the method of administration and whether new parents would be against an injection to their baby so soon after birth. I can see an issue with the 28 day follow up as most parents are not regularly seeing midwives by then. Thank you for the feedback everyone - I will pass it on.

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