Question

An infant shows a tendency to bleed 2 days after birth. the nurse understands this is most likely caused by which reason?

a- hemophillia
b- absence of intestinal bacteria and lack of vitamin K
c- an immature liver that Is unstable to synthesize clotting factors
d- delayed production of red blood cells

Answer 1

An infant with a bleeding tendency soon after birth likely suffers from a vitamin K deficiency due to immature liver function and lack of intestinal bacteria to synthesize vitamin K, leading to inadequate production of clotting factors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The infant showing a tendency to bleed 2 days after birth is most likely experiencing this due to the absence of intestinal bacteria and consequent lack of vitamin K, rather than hemophilia. This lack of vitamin K leads to inadequate production of clotting factors, which is essential for blood to clot. Newborns typically have sterile intestines and hence require some time before intestinal bacteria can synthesize vitamin K. Additionally, their liver, which is responsible for synthesizing various clotting factors, is immature at birth and may not be as effective in doing so. This condition can be routinely prevented with a vitamin K injection shortly after birth.