Why Every Newborn Needs a Vitamin K Shot

The birth of a child is a troubled time, even under the most ideal circumstances. In the first hours after birth, doctors will take a number of additional steps to keep everyone healthy, one of which includes giving the newborn a shot of vitamin K. Although the vitamin K shot has been regularly given since 1961, it is one of those measures that is not often talked about, despite that it plays an important role in protecting the newborn from the risk of serious complications such as excessive bleeding.

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in our liver and is important for blood clotting and bone health. Older children and adults get vitamin K from dietary sources such as leafy greens, eggs, and meats. Vitamin K is also produced by certain bacteria that live in our intestines.

Newborns receive a very limited amount of vitamin K in the womb. And after birth, breast milk contains a very limited amount of vitamin K, and vitamin K-producing bacteria take some time to fully colonize the intestines. “It will take time to build up our own vitamin K stores,” said Christina Fok, a pediatrician at UTHealth Houston .

Newborns lack vitamin K

As a result, babies are at higher risk of bleeding in the first few months of life due to a lack of vitamin K. “Small cuts and cuts won’t necessarily cause them bleeding problems,” Fok said. However, a great concern is that bleeding in the intestine or brain can affect their development.

“Birth itself is a traumatic event,” Fok said. “Whether it’s a vaginal delivery or a caesarean section, they’re in a limited space that they need to fit in and out of.” As a result, the newborn may receive a blow to the head at the exit, which is associated with the risk of developing cerebral hemorrhage. In most cases , a cerebral hemorrhage in a difficult birth will be mild , with little to no symptoms, but if the bleeding is more severe, it can lead to serious complications. Even if the bleeding is light, a lack of vitamin K can increase the bleeding.

Vitamin K shots help newborns in their first months of life

An injection of vitamin K is administered to a newborn within a few hours after birth, by injecting it into the thigh. They only need one shot. Although there are oral forms of vitamin K, they are not as well absorbed. Without vitamin K vaccination, a newborn has about a 1 in 60 to 1 in 250 chance of developing bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency within a week of birth. If you give an injection of vitamin K, the risk of bleeding is drastically reduced.

Some major points of confusion surrounding vitamin K injection include the misconception that it is a vaccine (it is not; it is a vitamin injection) and the bizarre claim that vitamin K is not a vitamin, which may be due to the mixing of its components. name with the mineral potassium, which has the atomic symbol “K”. According to Snopes, the claim that the vitamin K shot is a vaccine and the claim that vitamin K is not a vitamin are both false.

“The interventions that we have are well-studied and significantly reduce mortality and morbidity,” Fok said.