Newborns to be administered Vitamin K

Kathmandu: The government of Nepal is to administer Vitamin K to all the newborn infants for the first time in the country. The Vitamin K would be given to the newborn infants within 28 days of their birth.

The Vitamin K injection is given to the new-borns to prevent the ‘Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB)’, which can cause bleeding into the brain and may result in brain damage or even death.

The Vitamin K, which is termed K1, and will be provided for free of cost to the newborns.

According to the Department of Health Services’ Dr Jhalak Gautam, the K1 would be given to the newborns to provide them protection from lack of blood in their bodies.

Earlier, the underweight newborns were being administered the K1. From this fiscal year, it would be given to all the newborns of all size and weight. More than 620,000 newborn infants would be given K1 in this fiscal year to begin with.

The Vitamin K innoculation campaign would be launched under the National Safe Motherhood Programme of the government which aims to reduce the maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.