Intracranial Hemorrhage in a Previously Healthy Infant

Abstract

We describe a 5-week-old infant who presented in cardiac arrest and was later found to have intracranial hemorrhage due to late vitamin K deficiency bleeding. The infant had not received vitamin K prophylaxis following a home birth. Because of worsening direct hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis, she was subsequently found to have biliary atresia. This case allows us to review the differential diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage in infants and underscores the importance of considering whether infants presenting with any source of bleeding had received vitamin K prophylaxis. As refusal of vitamin K prophylaxis has increased in the United States over the last decade, pediatricians now play an increasingly vital role in promoting strong adherence to universal prophylaxis for newborns in their practice.