Sue: This is the most thorough examination of Vitamin K that I have read in a forum like this. Well done.
marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue Cookson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 3:14 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Vitamin K > Hi Kim, > A British friend of mine has just arrived back from time in the UK and > says that the issue of Vit K and PKU is a non-issue in the area she > works in (around Brighton) ie vitK is not offered after birth and the > heelprick test is not talked about either. > I've just done a lot of research on vit K and did come across a paper > that suggested that the British College of Midwives were debating > whether or not to continue giving vitamin K . I was not researching the > heelprick test. > I have discovered however that there is a vast range of regimes relating > to vitamin K across the world and that the evidence supporting any one > regime is pretty inconclusive - in that the new Konakion MM seems less > effective than the old; the IM seems the most effective of all but has > question marks re associations with childhood leukemias; very little > research has been done relating to natural supplementation and vitamin > K, the Dutch model is better than the oral regime offered here and > consists of 1mg dose at birth followed by daily 25ug drops (of an oral K > freely and cheaply available) given by the parents, the Danish do 2mg at > birth followed by 1mg weekly, and in the USA there are natural drops > made of alfalfa, nettle and green tea in a corn oil base which I imagine > would be given to the mother as every drop is 2mg. (Research shows 5 mg > per day to the mother effectively raises the newborn vit K plasma level > - synthetic vitamin K that is, which is not as easily assimilated as > natural vitamin K).This latter option is of course not sanctioned by the > FDA. > > Lots of research about synthetically derived vitamin K and next to none > about naturally derived sources. Is nature really that flawed, and what > exactly do these very elevated levels we inject or give orally to our > babies do to them? > > Another of those questions I believe akin to the vaccination debate. > > I guess the most unanswered question was how do you determine if a baby > has died of vit K deficiency related to its diet or whether it has died > of liver or malabsorption problems which effectively reduce the > synthesisation of vitamin K to nothing. As Sara Wickham says in her > book, 'some of thes cases of HDN (Haemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn) > could not have been prevented by vitamin K in any form'. > > Most of the deaths in regard to vitamin K are in the late onset bracket > and most of these babies have underlying liver or cholestatic disorders > which are not obvious(ie no prolonged jaundice or bruising or obvious > bleeding like all the texts say should occur). Interestingly too, most > of the deaths occur in spring/summer (reasearch from Japan, Germany and > England) and 2:1 males too, so is there an environmental and or genetic > picture here as well?? > > Lots to think about eh?? > Sue > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > I was hoping you wouldn't mind answering > > a question I have. > > > > I have been doing a bit of study over the > > past 18 months and two of my subjects are > > Anat&Phys and Pathology. Recently, in > > class vitamin K injections became the topic > > of conversation and when asked whether > > midwives would administer the vitamin K > > shot or not my lecturer, who is also an > > anesthetist, advised of course they would, > > along with the heel prick test. > > > > Can you tell me, is this actually true. > > I'd love to hear your feedback. > > > > Regards > > Kim > > Your friendly list admin :-) > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > Kim Hunter > > List Administration > > Birth International > > ACE Graphics and Associates in Childbirth Education > > > > http://www.birthinternational.com/ > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -- > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
