Understanding the Benefits and Risks of Vitamin K at Birth: Expert Insights and Recommendations

​Evaluating the Efficacy of Oral Vitamin K versus Injections for Newborns and Addressing Common Concerns

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended vitamin K for the newborn since 1961. The theory is that newborns are born relatively deficient and that giving this shot of vitamin K would reduce bleeding, known as hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDN). It turns out that the shot does little for the early onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). A recent article confirmed that oral vitamin K appears to be effective in preventing classic VKDB, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-056036

Oral vitamin K has been used successfully in many parts of the world and has been shown to be effective.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8315554
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4051538
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3514830

Since vitamin K shots contain a black box warning that death is a possible side effect, it is understandable that many parents want to avoid that risk and prefer to skip the shot. Oral vitamin K appears to be very safe, and thus, it makes perfect sense to use it to prevent VKDB and HDN. 

The challenge in the USA is that doctors have no clue what to use, how to use it, and where to get it. Indeed, there are very limited options if you want to give your newborn oral vitamin K. When I was in practice, before retiring in December 2022, I had most parents who wanted to give oral vitamin K use the following product:

Bio-K- Mulsion by Biotics, taking 4 drops each dose, at day 1, weekly for the first month, and once at 2 months age. If they could not get this in time and were at the hospital, many could get the hospital pharmacy to convert the injectable vitamin K into a dilution of drops that could be given orally. The danger of the injectable was from the rare times it was accidentally injected into a vein or artery. 

You can take advantage of my Fullscript account and get a 25% discount here:
https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/drpaulapproved​

While there, consider purchasing the oral vitamin D drops your baby needs. The optimal dose for infants is 1000 IU daily ongoing. It is advisable to take vitamin D with K2 as this helps usher the extra absorbed calcium to the bone where it belongs. Make sure you are giving just 1000 IU daily.

Yours in good health,

Dr. Paul