Background: We aimed to assess the efficacy of prenatal prophylactic maternal vitamin k administration in decreasing blood loss during and after elective cesarean section (CS) and its effects on neonatal outcomes.
Methods: A clinical trial included 200 pregnant women planned for elective CS, were randomized into two equal groups. The study group included 100 women who received vitamin K (10 mg) intramuscularly once daily for three days before elective CS, while the control group included 100 women who did not have vitamin K before CS. Maternal PT, PC, APTT, and hematocrit were evaluated pre-and postoperatively. Maternal blood loss during CS was assessed by counting the soaked gauzes. Vitamin K levels in the umbilical cord, neonatal APGAR score, and the neonatal PT and PC were measured.
Results: Postoperative PT and APTT of women in the vitamin K group were shorter than the control group (p<0.001). Also, women's postoperative PC and hematocrit in the vitamin K group were higher than that of the control group (p<0.001). Neonates who received vitamin K had significantly shorter PT, higher PC, and less bleeding than the control group (p<0.001). Cord blood vitamin K levels in the group who received vitamin K were considerably higher than in the controls (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Administration of prophylactic vitamin K had a beneficial effect on maternal bleeding tendency but to somewhat added no value in neonates as both PT and PC values were within normal despite of significant differences in both groups.