Correspondence

Correction

Vitamin K And The Newborn: A Correction

N Engl J Med 1994; 330:70January 6, 1994

Article

To the Editor:

Large errors in the stated vitamin K content of milks and formulas seem worth correcting (Sept. 23 issue)1. Human milk averages about 3 μg per liter,2,3 not 20 ng per liter. Cow's milk is only two- or threefold higher4 (not 15 to 17 mg per liter, or 10⁶-fold higher). The commonly used infant formulas contain 54 to 105 μg per liter at 20 kcal per ounce (not 830 mg per liter).

Donald R. Davis, Ph.D.
University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712

4 References

1. 1

   Hilgartner MW. Vitamin K and the newborn. N Engl J Med 1993;329:957-958
   Full Text | Web of Science | Medline

2. 2

   Canfield LM, Hopkinson JM, Lima AF, Silva B, Garza C. Vitamin K in colostrum and mature human milk over the lactation period -- a cross-sectional study. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:730-735
   Web of Science | Medline

3. 3

   Isshiki H, Suzuki Y, Yonekubo A, Hasegawa H, Yamamoto Y. Determination of phylloquinone and menaquinone in human milk using high performance liquid chromatography. J Dairy Sci 1988;71:627-632
   CrossRef | Web of Science | Medline

4. 4

   Haroon Y, Shearer MJ, Rahim S, Gunn WG, McEnery G, Barkhan P. The content of phylloquinone (vitamin K₁) in human milk, cows' milk and infant formula foods determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. J Nutr 1982;112:1105-1117
   Web of Science | Medline