FVL is inherited. This means that for every pregnant woman who has FVL, the
child she carries has at least a 50% chance of inheriting the disease (more
if the father also has it). We know the fetus is influenced by hormone
levels in the mother's system, as witnessed by the occasional breakthrough
bleeding in girl babies and "witch's milk" found in babies of either sex in
the immediate postpartum when hormone levels plummet.
Vitamin K encourages clotting, and thus there is some concern among parents
with FVL about giving their newborns the prophylactic vitamin K bolus.
At the very least such treatment should NOT occur immediately after birth,
when hormone levels are still up, in my opinion as a parent. And it may be
advisable (though research has not been done!) to do the quick screening
test for FVL (not the genetic test; this test simply checks to see how
resistant clots are to activated protein C) prior to giving the infant
vitamin K later. Perhaps testing cord blood for APC resistance immediately
after birth and only giving negative babies vitamin K would be reasonable.
Another approach would be to delay the vitamin K shot for 6-12 hours if not
longer, to allow hormone levels to drop. I am aware of one family that
feels their baby's death was caused by the vitamin K shot. Although the
story is completely anecdotal, it echoes fears I had with my own daughter.
by Jennifer Rosenberg
Jennifer Rosenberg has been trained as a doula and childbirth educator. She currently works as a graphic designer, editor and author for Midwifery Today, Inc.
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 2 Issue 19 May 12, 2000)
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