Vitamin K Deficiency: 5 Warnings Signs That You Should Not Ignore in Children

Vitamin K deficiency is more common in kids than adults and may result in excessive bleeding and getting quickly wounded as well.

Vitamin A, B, C, D, deficiency is a common problem that a lot of people know about. But there are few people who talk about deficiency of vitamin K. This is a more common problem in kids. Vitamin K plays an important role in clotting of blood, preventing excessive bleeding, producing proteins and for lung health.

According to the Healthline, two main kinds of vitamin K. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) come from plants, especially leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is naturally created in the intestinal tract and works similarly to K1.

Vitamin K Deficiency Symptoms:

1. Excessive Bleeding: In kids, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, skin, nose etc becomes a common occurrence.
2. Lung Problems: Low vitamin K levels may lead to lower lung capacity. It may increase the chances of asthma or wheezing or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
3. Quick Swelling When Hurt: A deficiency in vitamin K can hurt easy. Even a little scratch can lead to swelling in the area
4. Purple Spots Under Nails: One may notice small blood clumps under the nails
5. Dark Stool: Due to excessive bleeding, the stool may turn dark and have some blood.

According to the Centre of Disease Control, Vitamin K is a substance that our body needs to form clots and to stop bleeding.  We get vitamin K from the food we eat.  Some vitamin K is also made by the good bacteria that live in our intestines. Babies are born with very small amounts of vitamin K stored in their bodies, which can lead to serious bleeding problems if not supplemented.

Vitamin K shots are usually recommended for kids or infants to lower the risk of vitamin K deficiency. Therefore, even as we age it is important to consume a healthy diet to maintain the required amount of vitamins and minerals