Parents Who Refuse Neonatal Vitamin K Prophylaxis Are More Likely to Refuse Childhood Immunizations

Intramuscular administration of vitamin K at birth prevents late vitamin K deficient bleeding, and parental refusal of prophylaxis has rare but devastating consequences (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Dec 4 2013). Researchers examined parent refusal rates, patient characteristics, and compliance with subsequent immunization in a retrospective review of all infants born in Alberta, Canada, between 2006 and 2012.

Most (99.3%) of the 282,378 infants received intramuscular vitamin K and 0.4% received oral vitamin K. During the 6-year period, the refusal rate rose significantly from 0.21% to 0.32%. Factors associated with vitamin K refusal included delivery at home or birthing center and delivery by a midwife (4.9, 3.5, and 8.4 times higher than del…