Refusal of Newborn Vitamin K Shot Doubles, Linked to Higher Brain Bleed Rates
Studies of more than 16 million U.S. infants show that refusal of the vitamin K injection at birth rose to about 7% by 2025 and was associated with a more than two-fold increase in brain hemorrhages during the first six months of life.
Two recent studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics examined hospital records for over 16 million infants born in the United States between 2017 and 2025. The research found that the proportion of parents declining the routine vitamin K injection at birth more than doubled, reaching nearly 7% of births. Infants who did not receive the injection experienced a substantially higher incidence of bleeding complications in the first six months, including brain hemorrhages that occurred at a rate of 33 per 10,000 births compared with 13.2 per 10,000 among those who were given vitamin K. Overall, vitamin K-related bleeding events increased by roughly 350% over the study period.
The authors noted limitations in the data, particularly regarding home births, but emphasized the consistency of the findings across the large sample. Elizabeth Wolf, co-author of the JAMA Pediatrics analysis, told MedPage Today that the results illustrate the real-world impact of vitamin K refusal and that brain bleeding can lead to permanent neurologic injury or death. A pediatrician quoted in the report said, "People just don't realize how important it is."
The studies suggest that the growing trend of declining the vitamin K shot may have significant public-health implications, prompting calls for increased education of parents about the injection’s role in preventing serious bleeding disorders in newborns.