Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn

Abstract

The authors present 16 patients with the idiopathic forms of hemorrhagic disease in newborns, none of which, after birth, having prophylactically received K-vitamin. Seven of them had an early form, four a classical form, and five a late form of hemorrhagic disease. All of them were born at term, four were female and 12 male newborns. The diagnosis was established on the basis of the decreased prothrombin time (PV) and the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTV), as well as their normalization following the applied therapy. The PV values in these patients ranged from 0.009 to 0.65 and the APTV from 33 to 120. The authors point out the significance of the prophylaxis of hemorrhagic diseases in the newborn and the still inconclusive state of scientific dilemmas and clinical practice in this connection.