Rising Vitamin K Shot Refusal Increases Newborn Brain Injury Risk

Increasing numbers of parents are refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns, putting infants astatine greater consequence of avoidable encephalon injuries, according to a preliminary systematic reappraisal released February 26, 2026, that will beryllium presented astatine the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking spot April 18-22, 2026, successful Chicago and online. 

A vitamin K injection is simply a supplement that provides babies pinch an basal vitamin that is people debased successful newborns. It is not a vaccine. Vitamin K is needed to thief humor clot. Getting a vitamin K changeable correct aft commencement tin forestall a uncommon but superior information called vitamin K deficiency bleeding. This information tin origin an intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of stroke, erstwhile a humor alloy bursts successful nan brain. It tin lead to decease aliases lifelong encephalon problems.

Vitamin K astatine commencement is safe and effective, and while refusal is still uncommon pinch rates successful nan United States remaining nether 1% successful astir hospitals, our reappraisal recovered successful caller years, location person been increases successful parents refusing this supplement for their newborns. This inclination is concerning because our reappraisal besides recovered that babies who do not get nan vitamin K injection are 81 times much apt to create vitamin K deficiency bleeding."

Kate Semidey, MD, study author of Florida International University, Miami

For nan review, researchers looked astatine 25 studies pinch 2 decades of world data. The studies examined vitamin K refusal, nan incidence of vitamin K deficiency bleeding and outcomes, genitor reasons for refusal and imaginable links to vaccine refusal.

Researchers recovered successful Minnesota, refusal rates roseate from 0.9% successful 2015 to 1.6% successful 2019. In California, Connecticut, and Iowa, refusal ranged from 0.2% to 1.3% successful 2018 and 2019, pinch complete half of infirmary unit perceiving increases.

Internationally, refusal rates ranged from 1% to 3% successful Canada, New Zealand and Scotland, and much than 30% successful immoderate birthing centers.

Researchers recovered among lawsuit bid reports of nan babies who had vitamin K deficiency bleeding, astir 14% of nan babies died, astir 40% had semipermanent neurological disabilities specified arsenic cognitive impairment, seizures aliases centrifugal deficits and astir 63% of babies had encephalon bleeds.

They besides recovered that parents who refused vitamin K for their babies were much apt to skip different recommended wellness protections. In nan U.S., parents who refused vitamin K were 90 times much apt to garbage some nan hepatitis B vaccine and oculus medicine meant to protect newborns from perchance blinding infections. In Canada, those who refused vitamin K were 15 times much apt to not person their kid vaccinated by 15 months old. In New Zealand, they were 14 times much likely.

Parental concerns included pain, preservatives and belief successful inaccurate information.

"Our findings constituent to an urgent request for wellness attraction professionals to supply prenatal counseling to parents to guarantee they understand that vitamin K tin dramatically trim preventable encephalon wounded and its lifelong impact," said Semidey.

A limitation of nan study was that it reviewed antecedently published investigation alternatively than pursuing infants complete time, truthful it did not find nan nonstop consequence for immoderate individual baby.