The effectiveness of the new 'Konakion MM Paediatric'
The effectiveness of the 'old Konakion'
There have been no large studies conducted that definitely demonstrate how effective the original Vitamin K (or 'Konakion') was in preventing VKDB. We simply have extensive records documenting cases of VKDB and if the affected baby had Vitamin K as an injection, or oral dose(s), or no Vitamin K at all.
The effectiveness of Vitamin K given to newborn babies is believed to depend on the type of VKDB and the way the Vitamin K was administered.
Early VKBB
Classical VKBB
Late VKBB
Early VKDB. It is believed that the incidence of Early VKDB (occurring on day 1) is greatly reduced if mothers taking certain medications (usually for epilepsy, tuberculosis or heart disease) receive tablets of Vitamin K, (generally about 20 mg daily), every day for the last 2 to 4 weeks of their pregnancy. Babies born to these mothers can also benefit from receiving an injection of Vitamin K within the first hour of being born, as they may not be able to absorb oral Vitamin K.
Classical VKDB. It is believed that Classical VKDB (occurring from day 2 to 7) can be virtually eliminated if the baby receives either an injection of Vitamin K OR an oral dose of Vitamin K within 24 hours of being born.
Late VKDB. It is believed that the incidence of Late VKDB (occurring from day 8 to 6 months, commonly occurring around 4 to 12 weeks), can be reduced from 0.44% - 1.5% down to less than 0.0003% with one injection of Vitamin K (usually given on the baby's day of birth).
The alternative of giving babies 3 oral doses, (usually on Day 1, then Day 4 to 7, and then at 1 month after the birth), will decrease the incidence of late VKDB to about 0.0015 to 0.0018%. This is if all 3 doses are given. In practice, the reality is that some parents overlook giving all 3 doses, and the true incidence is about 0.0025% to 0.0026%.