Are Newborns Getting Vitamin K?

Because newborns are vitamin K–deficient at birth, they are at risk for vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). To prevent this, we routinely administer intramuscular vitamin K shortly after birth. However, some parents refuse this therapy — a trend that is on the rise according to prepandemic studies. To examine recent patterns of vitamin K receipt, investigators reviewed the charts of nearly 5 million infants born at 35 or more weeks’ gestation across 400 U.S. hospitals between 2017 and 2024.