Rise in Vitamin K Refusals Linked to Increased Infant Bleeding, Studies Show
Two peer-reviewed studies published on Nov. 5 report a decline in newborn vitamin K uptake and a concurrent rise in bleeding incidents, prompting health officials to call for better tracking.
Two new peer-reviewed studies released on Nov. 5 indicate that fewer U.S. newborns are receiving the vitamin K injection routinely given within six hours of birth, while cases of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) have risen sharply. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics and JAMA, examined medical records for millions of infants up to six months old.
The JAMA Pediatrics analysis found that the proportion of infants receiving the shot fell from 97.7 % in 2017 to 95 % in 2025, and the rate of VKDB nearly quadrupled, with the 2025 rate about double that of 2024. The JAMA study reported that refusal rates more than doubled, from 3.1 % in 2017 to 6.8 % in 2025, and infants who did not receive vitamin K faced a 47 % higher risk of bleeding in the first six months. Those infants were also twice as likely to experience a brain bleed or die when hospitalized for bleeding, and the authors estimated one additional bleeding event for every 114 newborns who missed the injection.
The CDC continues to recommend vitamin K shots for newborns but has not committed to tracking refusal or bleeding rates, according to a statement to Reuters on Nov. 5. Lawmakers have urged the agency to begin such monitoring after a ProPublica investigation highlighted infant deaths linked to parental refusals.
Experts attribute the decline to broader vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and a growing preference for “natural” birth practices. Dr. Ivan Hand, director of neonatology at NYC Health + Hospitals Kings County, told USA TODAY that “there’s a general mistrust in our country that’s grown in the last 10 years,” noting concerns about injection pain, perceived unnecessary intervention and lingering myths about vitamin K. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that newborns who do not receive the shot are 81 times more likely to develop severe bleeding, because breast milk and standard nutrition do not provide sufficient vitamin K in the early months.
Health officials emphasize that vitamin K is a vitamin supplement, not a vaccine, and that the injection remains a proven method to prevent rare but serious bleeding events in infants.