what are your thoughts on the vitamin k shot for newborns?

Some people think it's beneficial, others think it's unncessary. I lean toward the view that it's unncessary, but it's something I need to do more research on. It definitely seems unnatural to me, but who knows.

Hemorrhagic disease is absolutely horrible and results in irreversible brain damage in the few infants who do, sadly, survive. Since it is random and they don't know which babies will get it, they give the Vit. K shot. There are two different kinds - early onset and late onset. The injection prevents early onset. It does not prevent late onset. Babies who get late onset are always breastfed as commercial formula contains added vit. K.

If you wait until there are indications of brain bleeding, you are too late. The disease progresses no matter what doctors do. Prevention is the only option.

At one point, there was concerns about the Vit K shot as some small studies indicated an increase in childhood leukemia. Larger scale, closely controlled studies were performed in 7 or 8 countries and very careful analysis showed that there were NO increase in childhood leukemia. Believe me, doctors were very concerned about this at the time.

In Australia, they permitted oral vitamin K to be administered for several years. After 2 or 3 children were permanently harmed by hemorrhagic disease, it was deemed that oral administration only was insufficient for early onset disease and they have returned to injections.

I found this, hope it helps...

Vitamin K at Birth: To Inject or Not

Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Apr 28, 2007

* Children's Health Issues

* Healthy Pregnancy

There is no overwhelming reason to discontinue this routine prophylactic injection for breastfed infants. Providing information about alternatives to allow informed parents to refuse would be reasonable. These parents may then decide to provide some gradual supplementation, or, for an entirely healthy term infant, they may simply provide diligent watchfulness for any signs of jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin) or easy bleeding.

There appears to be no harm in supplementing this vitamin in a gradual manner however. Currently, injections are provided to infants intended for formula feeding as well, although there appears to be no need as formula provides good gradual supplementation. Discontinuing routine injections for this group alone could reduce cases of leukemia.

One more curious look at childhood leukemia is the finding that when any nation lowers its rate of infant deaths, their rate of childhood leukemia increases.(12) Vitamin K injections may be responsible for some part of this number, but other factors are surely involved, about which we can only speculate.

i didnt really research like i should, and just kinda went with the "norm" of getting all the shots done. she was borderline jaundice for about 2 weeks and honestly i think it was that shot because i was told later on that it can contribute to jaundice.

To be honest, I don't recall having a choice. I had a c-section and nobody ever asked me if it was OK they just did it. Unless they asked my husband?? Anyway, my children are very healthy so obviously no harm done.

I refused any shots when my baby is a newborn.

if you don't trust your current pediatrician, seek a 2nd opinion.

i would talk to your dr....i haven't heard about that