Why Are Newborns Given an Injection of Vitamin K

question 17

Multiple Choice

Why are newborns given an injection of vitamin K?

• A) Breast milk and infant formulas are low in vitamin K.
• B) The trauma of birth destroys the newborn's vitamin K stores.
• C) The newborn does not yet have a population of GI flora able to synthesize adequate vitamin K.
• D) Infants cannot absorb vitamin K from breast milk or formula until approximately 3 months of age.

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Definitions:

Centromere

The specialized DNA sequence of a chromosome that links a pair of sister chromatids and where spindle fibers attach during cell division.

Duplicated Chromosomes

Chromosomes that have undergone replication, resulting in two identical copies joined together, crucial for cell division.

Purine

A nitrogen-containing compound that is one of the two types of bases found in DNA and RNA, the other being pyrimidine.

Pyrimidine

A nitrogenous base found in nucleic acids, characterized by a single ring structure, such as cytosine, thymine (in DNA), and uracil (in RNA).