Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Practice Exam

Which complication can arise due to severe vitamin K deficiency in neonates?

1. Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn

2. Respiratory distress syndrome

3. Intraventricular hemorrhage

4. Hyperbilirubinemia

The correct answer is: Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn

Severe vitamin K deficiency in neonates can lead to hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, which is a serious condition characterized by bleeding due to inadequate levels of clotting factors that are dependent on vitamin K. Newborns are particularly vulnerable to this deficiency because they have low stores of vitamin K at birth and their intestinal flora, which produces vitamin K, is not yet fully developed. This deficiency can manifest as bleeding from various sites, including the umbilical stump, gastrointestinal tract, and can even lead to intracranial hemorrhages. While other conditions like respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, and hyperbilirubinemia are significant concerns in neonates, they are not directly related to vitamin K deficiency. Respiratory distress syndrome results primarily from surfactant deficiency, intraventricular hemorrhage is often associated with prematurity and vascular fragility in the brain, and hyperbilirubinemia relates to bilirubin metabolism. Thus, the key complication associated specifically with severe vitamin K deficiency is hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.