The late hemorrhagic disease of the newborn results from vitamin K deficiency and the bleeding in these patients is usually intracranial. In this study, clinical and laboratory findings of 10 cases with intracranial bleeding are described. Of these 10 patients, nine had not been given prophylactic vitamin K, while one had received prophylaxis. Eighty percent were male and their age was between 8 and 29 days. All patients were term newborns, with one born in hospital and nine at home. There was no history of medication use, diarrhea or trauma, and all newborns were solely breast-feeding. Prothrombin, partial thromboplastin and coagulation times were prolonged in all cases. Four hours after intravenous administration of vitamin K (2 mg), all these values returned to normal levels. Intracranial bleeding was evacuated surgically in one patient. Two patients died. In conclusion, we believe that every newborn should receive prophylactic vitamin K. In addition, it appears that a second dose of vitamin K is required during the first month of life due to the possibility of late hemorrhagic disease of the newborn despite initial prophylaxis.

Keywords: yenidoğan, K vitamini eksikliği, intrakranial kanama, newborn. vitamin K deficiency. intracranial bleeding