Dear All,

In Australia (in hospital) we still give 1gm of Vit K by injection.  There was a
scare a few years ago about the link of Vit K and childhood leukaemia, and there
was a knee jerk reaction by institutions and they started to give Vit K orally
(just used the Vit K out of the ampoule).

The oral dose for Vit K (in Australia) is 1mg at birth, 1mg day 4, then final dose
at 1 month.  However, the manufacturer does not guarrantee its effacy if given
orally.  Rightly so, as absorption is not always the same in everybody.  As far as
I know there has been no research with this in babies.

Vit K is now given routinely by injection (unless parents request oral dose or
declines) to all babies born in hospital.

Anne Clarke
Brisbane - Australia