Haemorrhagic diathesis in children associated with vitamin K deficiency.

A haemorrhagic diathesis is described in infants; this is preceded and accompanied by constitutional symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, anorexia, and pallor. These children had a severe coagulation abnormality, due to deficiency of vitamin-K-dependent coagulation factors, and it was corrected by administration of vitamin K. No conclusion could be drawn as to the aetiology of this condition but some possible causes are discussed.