Vitamin K - All About Vitamin K for Kids

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin with two forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). K1 is found in foods like spinach, collard greens, and kale, while K2 is in fermented foods and animal products. Vitamin K is also produced naturally by bacteria in the body. (1)

What does vitamin K do?

Vitamin K is essential for producing proteins needed for bone building and blood clotting. For example, osteocalcin helps form bone tissues, while prothrombin plays a key role in blood clotting. (2)

Vitamin K is used throughout the body, including in the pancreas, brain, heart, liver, and bones. It breaks down quickly and is excreted through stool and urine, preventing toxicity even with high doses. While deficiency is rare due to ample K1 in foods, certain health conditions and medications can impair absorption. In cases of severe deficiency, supplements can help meet the daily requirement. (1)

How Does Vitamin K Function in Your Child’s Body?

Vitamin K helps prevent bleeding disorders and promotes bone formation in children, especially newborns who are often born with low levels of the vitamin. It stimulates osteoblast differentiation and enhances bone formation markers like insulin-like growth factor and alkaline phosphatase. (2)(3)(4)

Vitamin K is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of micelles, pancreatic enzymes, and bile. It is also produced by bacteria in the intestine. When antibiotics kill this bacteria, vitamin K supplements can be used to maintain proper levels. (2)(5)

Why do Children Need Vitamin K?

Micronutrients are crucial for children's healthy growth and development. Health professionals warn that poor nutrition can increase the risk of diseases, like bone fractures, in older children.

Vitamin K provides several health benefits to your child, including the following: (6)

Promotes bone health
Supports heart health
Helps with blood clotting

Promotes bone health: Research has claimed that vitamin K2 contributes to bone health in children and adults. For example, a study depicted that vitamin K2 levels in healthy girls aged 11 to 12 years are strongly associated with high bone mineral content. (7)

Vitamin K1 and K2 are essential for modifying osteocalcin, a protein released from bone-forming cells, enabling it to bind with calcium and strengthen bones. Unmodified osteocalcin levels in the blood are now used as a marker for bone loss and diseases like osteoporosis.

Vitamin K is crucial for childhood bone development and tooth health. It activates osteocalcin, which not only helps transfer calcium to bones but also promotes the production of new dentin beneath tooth enamel, preventing tooth decay. Vitamin K is safe and non-toxic, even at high doses. (7)

Supports heart health: Adequate vitamin K intake in children supports heart health by preventing calcium buildup in the arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease later in life.

Vitamin K activates matrix Gla protein in blood vessels, which helps bind calcium and prevent arterial stiffening. This reduces the risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart-related issues. Studies show higher vitamin K intake lowers the risk of artery calcification by 52% and heart attack-related deaths by 57%. (8)

Helps with blood clotting: Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting in children. It activates prothrombin, a protein that forms a fibrin web during clotting and supports the activation of coagulation factors for the final clotting process.

Vitamin K is crucial for preventing vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) in newborns, which can lead to brain bleeding and death. Since babies don't get enough vitamin K in utero or through breastfeeding, they receive a vitamin K injection at birth. By 6 months, babies can begin building a sufficient supply of vitamin K. (2)(4)(5)

What are the Symptoms of low Vitamin K?

Common causes of vitamin K deficiency include inadequate dietary intake, low absorption, and decreased storage due to liver disease. It can also be caused by the low production of vitamin K in your intestine. Health experts claim that newborns are at higher risk for vitamin K deficiency for several reasons: (9)

Mother’s milk is deficient in vitamin K
Vitamin K does not transfer properly from mother to baby during pregnancy
Infant’s liver does not use vitamin K efficiently
Newborns cannot produce this vitamin on their own in their first few days of life

The common signs and symptoms of vitamin K deficiency in children include:

Easy bruising
Blood-thinning
Stomach pain
Fatigue

Easy bruising: Easy bruising in children may indicate a vitamin K deficiency, which increases the risk of hemorrhagic diseases, leading to excessive bleeding and potential fatality in severe cases. (10)

Blood-thinning: Vitamin K is crucial for blood clotting. A deficiency can lead to excessive bleeding from minor injuries, as well as oozing from the gums and nose due to abnormal blood thinning. (10)

Stomach pain: Vitamin K is important for digestion. If your child frequently complains of stomach pain or digestive issues, it could be due to a vitamin K deficiency or another nutrient shortage. (10)

Fatigue: Lack of vitamin K can lead to anemia in kids because of heavy bleeding. Anemia is widely known to cause fatigue and weakness in children. It also makes them feel tired, lifeless, and appear pale. (10)

How Much Vitamin K Does Your kid Need per day?

Dosing recommendations for vitamin K are provided in the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB). DRI is the optimal amount of nutrients that a person needs per day. (11)

Remember to provide an adequate amount of vitamin K to your children to meet their body’s essential nutritional needs. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for this vitamin is provided in micrograms (mcg) below: (12)

Age	Recommended daily amount in micrograms (mcg)
7-12 months	2.5 mcg
1-3 years	30 mcg
4-8 years	55 mcg
9-13 years	60 mcg
14-18 years	75 mcg
19+ years	120 mcg (males)/90 mcg (females)

Should you Give Vitamin K Supplements to Your kid?

Newborns receive vitamin K injections due to low levels at birth. For toddlers, it's best to provide vitamin K through a healthy diet or supplements if necessary. Always consult a pediatrician before giving vitamin K supplements to your child. (9)

Which Foods Contain Vitamin K?

Major dietary sources of vitamin K1 include leafy green vegetables, some fruits, and vegetable oils. Eggs, milk, dairy products, and meat are low in vitamin K1 but high in K2. Cheese and other fermented products are also rich in vitamin K2. The most common dietary sources of this vitamin in the American diet are broccoli, spinach, canola oil, soya bean oil, and iceberg lettuce.

Here are some foods that contain healthy amounts of vitamin K: (2)

Food Name	Serving size	Micrograms (mcg) per serving
Natto (fermented soy beans)	3 oz	850 mcg
Green turnips, boiled	1/2 cup	426 mcg
Kale, raw	1 cup	113 mcg
Soy beans, roasted	1/2 cup	43 mcg
Soy bean oil	1 tbsp	25 mcg
Pumpkin, canned	1/2 cup	20 mcg
Okra, raw	1/2 cup	16 mcg
Pine nuts, dried	1 oz	15 mcg
Iceberg lettuce	1 cup	14 mcg
Grapes	1/2 cup	11 mcg
Canola oil	1 tbsp	10 mcg
Figs, dried	1/4 cup	6 mcg

What are the Side Effects of Taking Vitamin K?

Children and adults do not normally experience side effects when taking vitamin K at recommended amounts per day. On the other hand, some people have reported diarrhea and stomach problems after taking vitamin K supplements.

Vitamin K toxicity is rare in children. While vitamin K1 is non-toxic even in large doses, megadoses of vitamin K2 can cause toxicity, leading to jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, or brain damage (kernicterus) in infants.

Large doses of vitamin K supplements can cause hemolytic anemia in children by affecting the bone matrix, blood clotting enzymes, and red blood cell membranes. People on warfarin should avoid vitamin K supplements due to the risk of severe side effects. (1)

Summary

Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin found in leafy greens, is essential for blood clotting and bone formation in kids. It supports bone and heart health. A deficiency can cause easy bruising, fatigue, stomach pain, and blood thinning. Newborns receive vitamin K injections due to low levels at birth. If your child has a severe deficiency, vitamin K supplements may be needed, but always consult your pediatrician before supplementing.

References

Disclaimer: The content of this blog post is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this information for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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