VITAMIN K PROPHYLAXIS IN NEWBORNS: BENEFITS, CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONTROVERSIES – A LITERATURE REVIEW

Vitamin K prophylaxis is an essential component of routine newborn care and is used to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a potentially severe and sometimes fatal bleeding disorder. Newborn infants have physiologically low vitamin K stores and are particularly vulnerable to bleeding during the first weeks of life. This narrative review aims to summarize the benefits, current recommendations, routes of administration, and controversies surrounding vitamin K prophylaxis in newborns. Intramuscular vitamin K administration has been shown to be highly effective in preventing VKDB, including late-onset disease. Oral vitamin K regimens may provide an alternative in selected settings but are less reliable, particularly for the prevention of late VKDB. Current international recommendations support routine vitamin K prophylaxis for all newborns, with intramuscular administration considered the most effective approach. Appropriate counseling of parents and adherence to standardized neonatal protocols remain essential to ensure effective prevention.