Comparative Effect of Vitamin K and Whole Blood on Prothrombin Deficiency of Newborn Infant

Observations made upon a group of 3- and 4-day-old infants, who showed the expected hypoprothrombinemia, indicate that maternal whole blood, regardless of the mode of administration, is not as effective as vitamin K in raising the plasma prothrombin level. Because of the known relationships of reduced prothrombin levels to hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, it is suggested that treatment with vitamin K, which produces very rapid and significant elevations of the prothrombin, will prove much more effective than injections of maternal blood.