Overview
- An investigation published this week by ProPublica detailed clusters of vitamin K deficiency bleeding linked to missed newborn shots, including cases in Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas that led to seizures, brain bleeds, respiratory failure, and several deaths.
- A national study reported the share of U.S. babies not getting the shot reached about 5% in 2024, a 77% jump since 2017, with some hospitals reporting refusal rates above 20%.
- Newborns start life with very low vitamin K and breast milk has little, and without the injection babies face an estimated 81-fold higher risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding, with the late form often causing brain hemorrhage in 30% to 60% of cases.
- Doctors say false online claims, including debunked links to leukemia and politicized attacks on routine care, have pushed some parents to refuse the injection, a trend amplified by high-profile commentary in recent years.
- India’s Health Ministry recommends routine vitamin K at birth with standard doses and timing in facilities, yet access gaps such as home births have kept estimated coverage near 62%, leaving many infants unprotected.