User login
Photo by Vera Kratochvil
Cases of vitamin K-deficiency bleeding (VKDB) reported in infants have healthcare professionals concerned about parents refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns.
Some parents have been declining the shots in what is believed to be an extension of the anti-vaccination movement.
But avoiding vitamin K shots can result in dire consequences for newborns, said DeeAnne Jackson, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Newborns have been receiving vitamin K booster injections since 1961 to prevent internal bleeding,” Dr Jackson noted. “These injections are necessary because babies have very low levels of vitamin K at birth, which can lead to serious bleeding problems if not supplemented. It is an essential nutrient babies need to assist the body in blood clot formation.”
In a recent issue of the Journal of Emergency Medicine, doctors in Ohio documented a case where a 10-week-old child had profound anemia and intracranial bleeding after the child’s parents refused both the vitamin K shot and the hepatitis B vaccine.
The parents brought the child to the emergency room when the mother noticed flecks of blood in the baby’s stool. Emergency physicians were able to stop the intracranial bleeding before it became severe with an infusion of vitamin K.
A previous report published in 2013 revealed 4 cases of VKDB at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. These incidents were directly related to newborns not receiving their vitamin K shot.
When the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated this issue, the agency found that 28% of parents with babies born at private birthing centers in Nashville had refused the shot.
An update published in 2014 detailed 5 cases of late VKDB treated at the aforementioned hospital between February and September 2013 and 2 additional infants who had severe vitamin K deficiency but no bleeding.
Dr Jackson believes incidents like these might be avoided by better communication between parents and healthcare professionals.
“I would encourage parents who may be nervous about vitamin K shots or vaccines to start these conversations prior to their baby’s delivery so they can learn more about why these treatments are recommended ahead of time,” she said.
“You really shouldn’t wait to see if your baby needs a vitamin K shot after birth, because delaying medical care can lead to serious and life-threatening consequences.” 
Photo by Vera Kratochvil
Cases of vitamin K-deficiency bleeding (VKDB) reported in infants have healthcare professionals concerned about parents refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns.
Some parents have been declining the shots in what is believed to be an extension of the anti-vaccination movement.
But avoiding vitamin K shots can result in dire consequences for newborns, said DeeAnne Jackson, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Newborns have been receiving vitamin K booster injections since 1961 to prevent internal bleeding,” Dr Jackson noted. “These injections are necessary because babies have very low levels of vitamin K at birth, which can lead to serious bleeding problems if not supplemented. It is an essential nutrient babies need to assist the body in blood clot formation.”
In a recent issue of the Journal of Emergency Medicine, doctors in Ohio documented a case where a 10-week-old child had profound anemia and intracranial bleeding after the child’s parents refused both the vitamin K shot and the hepatitis B vaccine.
The parents brought the child to the emergency room when the mother noticed flecks of blood in the baby’s stool. Emergency physicians were able to stop the intracranial bleeding before it became severe with an infusion of vitamin K.
A previous report published in 2013 revealed 4 cases of VKDB at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. These incidents were directly related to newborns not receiving their vitamin K shot.
When the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated this issue, the agency found that 28% of parents with babies born at private birthing centers in Nashville had refused the shot.
An update published in 2014 detailed 5 cases of late VKDB treated at the aforementioned hospital between February and September 2013 and 2 additional infants who had severe vitamin K deficiency but no bleeding.
Dr Jackson believes incidents like these might be avoided by better communication between parents and healthcare professionals.
“I would encourage parents who may be nervous about vitamin K shots or vaccines to start these conversations prior to their baby’s delivery so they can learn more about why these treatments are recommended ahead of time,” she said.
“You really shouldn’t wait to see if your baby needs a vitamin K shot after birth, because delaying medical care can lead to serious and life-threatening consequences.”
Photo by Vera Kratochvil
Cases of vitamin K-deficiency bleeding (VKDB) reported in infants have healthcare professionals concerned about parents refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns.
Some parents have been declining the shots in what is believed to be an extension of the anti-vaccination movement.
But avoiding vitamin K shots can result in dire consequences for newborns, said DeeAnne Jackson, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Newborns have been receiving vitamin K booster injections since 1961 to prevent internal bleeding,” Dr Jackson noted. “These injections are necessary because babies have very low levels of vitamin K at birth, which can lead to serious bleeding problems if not supplemented. It is an essential nutrient babies need to assist the body in blood clot formation.”
In a recent issue of the Journal of Emergency Medicine, doctors in Ohio documented a case where a 10-week-old child had profound anemia and intracranial bleeding after the child’s parents refused both the vitamin K shot and the hepatitis B vaccine.
The parents brought the child to the emergency room when the mother noticed flecks of blood in the baby’s stool. Emergency physicians were able to stop the intracranial bleeding before it became severe with an infusion of vitamin K.
A previous report published in 2013 revealed 4 cases of VKDB at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. These incidents were directly related to newborns not receiving their vitamin K shot.
When the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated this issue, the agency found that 28% of parents with babies born at private birthing centers in Nashville had refused the shot.
An update published in 2014 detailed 5 cases of late VKDB treated at the aforementioned hospital between February and September 2013 and 2 additional infants who had severe vitamin K deficiency but no bleeding.
Dr Jackson believes incidents like these might be avoided by better communication between parents and healthcare professionals.
“I would encourage parents who may be nervous about vitamin K shots or vaccines to start these conversations prior to their baby’s delivery so they can learn more about why these treatments are recommended ahead of time,” she said.
“You really shouldn’t wait to see if your baby needs a vitamin K shot after birth, because delaying medical care can lead to serious and life-threatening consequences.”