Hemorrhagic Diseases
Hemorrhagic disease is a bleeding problem that occurs in a baby during the first few days of life.
Babies are normally born with low levels of vitamin K, an essential factor in blood clotting. A
deficiency in vitamin K is the main cause of hemorrhagic disease in newborn babies
Transmission
Transmission occurs by direct contact with infected animals, carcasses, bodily fluids (urine, feces, respiratory secretions), and hair.
Symptoms
Subtle signs include “failure to thrive” before a serious bleeding event occurs. These symptoms
include:warning bleeds, which may seem insignificant
low weight for your baby’s age, slow increase in weight.
Bleeding can occur in one or multiple areas, including:
- their umbilical stump, the naval area where their umbilical cord was removed
- the mucous membranes of their nose and mouth
- their penis, if it’s circumcised
- areas where they’ve been stuck by a needle, for example, for vaccinations
- their gastrointestinal tract
