There is lots of confusion about health information for children. Parents are subject to information coming from social media, podcasts, TV, politicians, parents, doctors, neighbors and, of course, newspaper columns. It might be easier to determine what to believe or what to do if everyone said the same thing. Or if there was someone trusted as an expert. There is so much information available now it is hard to know what is right for your child.
Vitamin K is an example of this confusion. Dr. Ivan Hand discusses Vitamin K in healthychildren.org. Vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. Adults and older children get Vitamin K from eating green, leafy vegetables, meat, dairy and eggs. Healthy bacteria, the microbiome, also produces some Vitamin K. Vitamin K is important as it helps the blood to clot. It also helps keep bones healthy. Babies have very little Vitamin K in their bodies when they are born. Unlike many other nutrients, Vitamin K does not pass through the placenta. In addition, babies don’t have much bacteria in their guts to make enough Vitamin K and there is very little vitamin K in breast milk. This makes the newborn Vitamin K deficient and at risk for uncontrolled bleeding because they can’t make clots.
The bleeding can happen outside the body or inside where the parents can’t see what is happening and get help. Inside bleeding can be into the gut or into the brain. Unfortunately, it can lead to brain damage or death.
Most bleeding because of Vitamin K deficiency usually happens between 2 days and 1 week. Without Vitamin K the bleeding can happen in 1 in 60 babies to 1 in 250 babies. It seems simple that Vitamin K should be given to prevent bleeding and life-threatening injuries.
Is Vitamin K safe? It is very safe. It is given as an injection and then it’s stored in the babies’ liver and released slowly over months. This gives the baby the Vitamin K they need over the months until they can get enough from solid food and make enough in their guts.
About 30 years ago there was some concern about Vitamin K and developing childhood cancer. Since then, there have been many kinds of studies, and no one has been able to find a link to cancer.
In the 1960’s the recommendation to give a Vitamin K shot within 6 hours of birth was made. This is a recommendation, not a law. Parents can decline the shot if so desired. In a recent study ending in 2024 it was found that the number of parents refusing the shot had increased by 77%. In 2017 the percentage of parents refusing the shot was 2.92% and in 2024 it was 5.18%.
So why would some parents refuse a safe injection that might prevent brain injury or death? Is it because it is an injection? Confused with vaccines? Poor education by doctors? Distrust of all medical advice?
A safe source of information is healthychildren.org.
Dr. Sally Robinson
Clinical Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics
Keeping Kids Healthy
Published May 2026