A growing number of parents are refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, leaving more infants vulnerable to vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a rare but life-threatening bleeding disorder. An analysis of 5 million newborns revealed the number of babies who did not receive the shot increased 77% from about 2.9% in 2017 to 5.2% in 2024, according to a National Institutes of Health study released last month.
Doctors on Long Island reported serious consequences. Over the last two years, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital hospitalized at least five children who had not received the vitamin K dose. “This year, there were more refusers than I had ever seen,” said Dr. Candice Foy, medical director of the newborn nursery. “We are seeing the repercussions.” Dr. Heather Levin, an obstetrician/gynecologist at North Shore University Hospital, has observed increasing refusal rates, with parents getting information from social media and questioning standard practices.
Babies are born deficient in vitamin K, which helps blood clot. A small bruise or cut can lead to abnormal bleeding. The biggest medical concern is vitamin K deficiency bleeding, or VKDB, which can cause internal bleeding and bleeding on the brain leading to permanent damage. “The biggest fear, medically, is spontaneous intracranial hemorrhaging,” Levin said.
The shot has been routinely administered since 1961 when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended it. The CDC also recommends it. A 1992 England study suggested a link between vitamin K shots and increased leukemia risk, but numerous follow-up studies concluded otherwise. A United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study examining 2,530 children with cancer and 4,487 without found “no convincing evidence that neonatal vitamin K administration influences the risk of children developing leukemia or any other cancer.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.newsday.com/news/health/vitamin-k-newborns-rse9qxl0