Why do newborns need a vitamin k shot?

What is Vitamin K?

The human body requires vitamin K for complete synthesis of certain proteins that are needed for blood coagulation.
It is said that babies are not born with sufficient Vitamin K, however the good is, that vitamin K is naturally occurring in colostrum and breastmilk. So typically by the 8th day of life, if the baby has been exclusively breastfed since birth they will have the Vitamin K they need. 

Why did we start giving the Vitamin K injection?

There is a combination of reasons the Vitamin K shot was developed.

In 1894, a Boston physician named Dr. Townsend described 50 cases of bleeding in newborns. He was the first person to figure out that there was a connection between poor or insufficient breastfeeding and bleeding in newborns.

Another reason Vitamin K injections became popular was due to a rise of injury to the baby at birth.   Being born with assistance from a vacuum or forceps can increase the baby’s chances of birth injury. Therefore receiving vitamin K drops orally  or through injection could decrease their changes of excessive blood loss after the injury occurs.   During the “knock ‘em out, drag ‘em out” era of birth which started in the 1940s and continues in it’s own version today, many babies were at higher risk for birth injury either through being born with assistance of forceps, vacuums, c-sections or internal fetal monitors (where an electrode is screwed into a baby’s scalp). (1)

Late vitamin K deficiency bleeding, occurring when a baby is between 2 and 24 weeks old, affects an estimated 4 of every 100,000 babies who don’t receive vitamin K at birth and are not breastfed.

If you are circumcising your baby, as an added safety precaution the shot may be something to consider. Since the bris, or circumsicon, is done on the 8th day the baby usually has the vitamin K it needs for blood clot factor.

Does the shot negatively affect the baby?

There is no vitamin K in the vitamin K shot.

This synthetic vitamin K shot does not include any of the natural forms of vitamin K found in leafy greens (V1) or butter (V2). Instead, the synthetic "vitamin" in this shot is called phytonadione and includes:
– Phenol (carbolic acid, a poisonous acid in coal tar)
– Benzyl alcohol (preservative)
– Propylene glycol (also known as an “edible” antifreeze)
– Acetic acid (an agent that stops, or kills microorganisms)
– Hydrochloric acid
– Lecithin
– Castor oil

Myth?

It is a myth that the vitamin K in formula is sufficient for the baby and that breastfed babies are at higher risk for Vitamin K deficiencies. It is also a risk that your baby will die if you do not do the shot. It is however, a fact, that according to the CDC the shot does carry many risks. (2). Don’t take my word for it, do your extensive research, and always pay close attention to the politics behind the author of the article. That being said, the links below offers some excellent evidence based information. Sadly we live in a time, where if you make a decisions about your health or your baby’s health that is contrary to main stream definitions of health you will be considered “an irresponsible parent”, “mentally unstable”, and now The American Academy of Pediatrics calls Vitamin K an “indicator of future parental health care decision-making behavior.” (3) Do not be bullied into a procedure that carries risk.

What to do?

It is very important as parents to-be that you do research on the pros and cons of the Vitamin K injection. You have the right to decide if you would like to do it, or decline it. If you do decide to birth at a center or at home, the midwife is fully equipped to provide the vitamin K shot, should the baby sustain any kind of physical injury or trauma. Likewise at the hospital. Consult with a midwife and certainly research instances of negative reactions babies had to the shot as well as instances of baby’s needing vitamin K. Ultimately YOU decides if the risks outweigh the benefits.

That being said, should the birth be uneventful, know that your body is capable of providing the baby with the vitamin K that it needs. 

It is also very helpful if the mother is taking a High Potency, Bioactive Vitamin D with Vitamin K during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

How do I keep my baby low risk?

If you would like to decrease your baby’s chances needing artificial Vitamin K, take a birth education course, plan for an intervention-free birth, consider a birth center where a gentle birth is more likely, and make a plan to breastfeed. If for religious reason your baby will be circumcised consider the oral drop protocol as an alternative addition to the shot along with breastfeeding.

If you would like to consult on how to increase your chances of a gentle, drama free birth, please contact me to set up a Zoom session today.

With love and info,

Eyla

Resources:

1. https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-the-vitamin-k-shot-in-newborns/

2. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=e8808230-2c44-44c6-8cab-8f29b6b34051

3. https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/09/24/vitamin-k-lawsuit-baby-taken-from-parents-dcfs-medical-neglect-investigation/