National Public Health Week 2023: Why Do Newborns Need a Vitamin K Shot?

Many first-time parents might not be aware that doctors recommend that all newborns get a dose of vitamin K at birth. It's not often discussed during prenatal checkups, even though this has been a recommended practice by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1961.

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K helps to make proteins necessary for blood clotting and building bones. These include, prothrombin, a protein directly involved with blood clotting, and osteocalcin, a protein that helps build bone tissue and requires vitamin K to work.

Why Do Newborn Babies Need Vitamin K?

Babies have very little vitamin K in their bodies at birth. Newborns who don't get vitamin K are at risk for vitamin K deficient bleeding (VKDB), a potentially fatal bleeding disorder. VKDB can cause bruising or bleeding throughout the body, including organs; almost half of VKDB cases involve bleeding in the brain, which leads to brain damage.

It's not just newborns who are at risk. Babies within their first 6 months of life are at risk for VKDB, as they don't have much naturally-produced vitamin K. It's also not a nutrient that nursing moms can pass much of through breast milk. Most of our vitamin K depends on the foods we eat and the healthy bacteria in our intestines, which take time to develop for infants.

Signs of VKDB

Serious, life-threatening VKDB bleeding can start with little or no warning, but babies who do not get a vitamin K shot at birth might show these signs:

• Easy bruising, especially around the head and face
• Bleeding from the nose or umbilical cord
• Skin color that is paler than usual; or, for dark-skinned babies, gums that are paler than usual.
• Yellow eyes after the baby is 3 weeks old
• Blood in the stool, black tarry stool, or vomiting blood
• Irritability, seizures, excessive sleepiness, or excessive vomiting may all be signs of bleeding in the brain

Should all babies get a vitamin K shot at birth?

Yes, it's important that newborns get a vitamin K shot, as are at risk for serious bleeding without it.

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