Vitamin K has been routinely given to newborn infants in Australia for several decades. It has been administered soon after birth to prevent Haemorraghic Disease of the Newborn (HDN), a rare but potentially fatal bleeding disorder which may present in the first few months of life. Following a 1992 report in the British Medical Journal suggesting that children given intramuscular Vitamin K had a two fold risk of cancer compared to those given Vitamin K orally or not at all, an expert panel was established to respond to the findings.

Atopic eczema is a common skin condition affecting about 3% of children, however approximately 85% of children will grow out of eczema by 5 years of age.