All issues > Volume 35(5); 1992

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(5):614-620. Published online May 15, 1992.

Hepaplastin Test for Screen of Vitamin K Deficiency in Term and Preterm Neonates

Eun Mi EM Kim¹, Gyung Og GO Yu¹, Dong Rak DR Choi¹, Chong Young CY Park¹, Hae Ran HR Lee¹, Choon Myung CM Ro¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

To screen vitamin K deficiency in term and preterm neonates, the authors conducted Hepaplastin test based on 40 term and 40 preterm neonates who were delivered at Han Gang Sacred Heart Hospital. Also we compared Hepaplastin activity of term neonates with that of preterm neonates. 0.5mg or 1mg of vitamin K1 was injected intramuscularly immediately after birth according to the birth weight, and hepaplastin test was performed the 3rd day and the 1st month of life. The results were as follows: 1) The Hepaplastin activity of 1-month-old infants was significantly reduced comparing with that of the term neonates. 2) The Hepaplastin activity of 3-day-old preterm infants was significantly reduced comparing with that of the term neonates. 3) As for the Hepaplastin activity of 1-month-old infants, there was no significant difference in both term and preterm neonates. 4) The frequency of Hepaplastin activity below 35% was more prevalent in preterm than in term neonates, and thd Hepaplastin activity was significantly increased after readministration of vitamin K1 in both groups.

Keywords :Hepaplastin Activity, Vitamin K Deficiency