Vitamin K Injection in Newborns: A Lifesaving Recommendation
After the birth of a precious newborn, there are a few choices that parents make that can be a matter of life and death. One of the most important recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC is the one-time injection of Vitamin K. This vitamin shot prevents bleeding in the brain, which can cause permanent disability and death.
When babies are born, they have very low levels of Vitamin K in their bloodstream. Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB) happens when there are low levels of Vitamin K, which causes the blood to not clot well. If the infant does not receive the Vitamin K injection after birth, it takes six months for the baby to absorb enough Vitamin K to achieve normal levels. This means that the infant is at risk for life-threatening bleeding in the brain or the intestines for the first six months of life.
The reason that newborns have such low levels of Vitamin K is because the Vitamin K does not cross the placenta well, which means that the mother cannot share her own Vitamin K with her developing baby. We get Vitamin K from the food we eat and from the normal bacteria that live in the intestines. There is very little Vitamin K in breastmilk. Also, when babies are born, they have very few normal bacteria in their intestines, which is why it takes several months for the baby to reach normal Vitamin K levels if they do not receive the Vitamin K injection after birth. This is also the reason that giving Vitamin K by mouth is not absorbed well and is not an effective alternative to the shot.
Giving Vitamin K injections to newborns is a very safe practice. It has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and routinely given to newborns in the US since the 1960s. Since that time, Vitamin K has been studied extensively and has been found to be safe. There are very few ingredients in the Vitamin K injection. Most hospitals give preservative-free Vitamin K and the dose given is what is needed to protect the baby from bleeding.
The risks of the Vitamin K injection are the same as any local injection, including pain, bruising or swelling at the place where the injection was given. You can ask to hold or breastfeed your baby during or immediately after the injection to help with the pain. The benefit of giving the Vitamin K injection is the prevention of bleeding in the brain and the intestines. Half of babies with Vitamin K Deficient Bleeding experience bleeding in the brain. One out of every five babies with VKDB dies.
If you have questions or concerns about giving your newborn the Vitamin K injection after birth, please talk to your physician. This important vitamin can save your baby’s life!
Jennifer Hohman, MD
Pediatrics
Pediatric Hospitalists of Northwest Ohio
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Pirate baseball win vs. Tigers
- Bluffton softball edged in battle of Pirates
- Committee meetings scheduled for Bluffton Council
- #1 recommended attraction in NW Ohio is in Ada
- Mental Health Awareness event with Seth Gehle
- Ohio highway patrol promoting motorcycle safety
- Recap of Bluffton Board of Education meeting for April 2025
- Weekend Doctor: Antidepressants in the long term
Friday, May 2, 2025
- BHS seniors exhibit art at Gallery 323 through May 7
- What's in your weekend?
- Pirate softball blanked by Lancers
- Pirate baseball blanked by Lincolnview
- Laman Promoted to VP Retail Credit Manager by CNB
- Local land conservancy hires first Executive Director
- Steiner to present Swiss Family Migration program on May 21
- 850 Days of Caring volunteers will pitch in for Hancock County
Thursday, May 1, 2025
- Angel M. Langhals owned LFE/API Meters
- Allen Co. task force targets target sex and human traffickers
- Blessing of the Bikes, May 4
- Metzger honored at 2025 Black Swamp Council meeting
- Volunteer invitation for Bluffton Pathway Count in May
- Pirate tennis edges Ottawa-Glandorf
- Bluffton EMS station staffing goes 24/7 on May 1
- You are what you eat: Link to immune system
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Observation deck added to Motter Park cascading pools project
- Bluffton Women in Business meet May 15
- Four sportsmen stock 200 trout at Buckeye Lake
- Pirate girls, boys 2nd at Minster track quad
- Pirate baseball win vs. Riverdale
- Pirate softball loss vs. Riverdale
- Field reports from NW Ohio wildlife officers