Refusals of Newborn Vitamin K Shot Rise Sharply, Raising Bleeding Risk
A recent analysis of U.S. hospital records shows a 57% increase in infants not receiving the standard vitamin K injection in the first half of 2026, prompting concerns among pediatric experts about higher rates of serious bleeding.
The proportion of newborns in the United States who do not receive the recommended vitamin K injection within a day of birth jumped more than 57% between January and June 2026, according to a review of health records for over one million births by data-analytics firm Truveta. The rate of non-receipt was 2.5 times higher than the average from 2019-2024 and 1.4 times higher than in 2025, bringing the overall percentage to 8.1% by the end of June, up from 5.2% six months earlier.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting; infants born without adequate levels are at heightened risk of life-threatening bleeding in the brain or gastrointestinal tract during the first six months of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that infants who do not receive the injection are about 81 times more likely to experience such bleeding, and one in five serious cases can be fatal.
Pediatric leaders highlighted the trend as a growing challenge. > "It’s really terrifying. It’s like we’re going backwards," said Dr. Nia Heard-Garris, a pediatric physician-scientist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Karen Puopolo, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Fetus and Newborn, said the data reflects daily encounters with parents who decline evidence-based newborn care.
The rise coincides with broader public debate over vaccine and newborn-intervention policies promoted by political figures, including recent calls by President Donald Trump to reconsider vaccine recommendations. Health officials noted that concerns about vitamin K predate the current administration. > "Concerns about vitamin K and declining trust in public health institutions predate this administration," said Grace Davis Jamison, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Legislators have urged the CDC to begin systematic tracking of vitamin K refusals and related bleeding events. In July, Representative Kim Schrier and Senator Angela Alsobrooks sent a letter to the acting CDC director requesting public reporting of such data, which they say has not yet been provided.
Clinics are adapting to the trend. Dr. Amanda Furr, chief medical officer of Zarminali Pediatrics, reported that her network now stocks the vitamin K shot in primary-care offices because refusals in hospitals have become common. Some physicians require parents who decline the injection to sign a consent form acknowledging the risks.
Data also show a gender disparity: in June 2026, 8.9% of newborn girls and 7.3% of boys had not received vitamin K, suggesting that female infants may be disproportionately affected.
Pediatricians emphasized the importance of the injection for other procedures, such as circumcision, noting that many hospitals prohibit circumcision without prior vitamin K administration due to bleeding risks.