A new study is drawing attention to a growing trend among parents that experts say could put newborn babies at risk.
Researchers have found that an alarming number of parents are declining the Vitamin K injection for their newborn children.
According to the new study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 78th Annual Meeting, next month in Chicago, the refusal rate, although still low, is rising at an alarming rate. Researchers suggest that refusal to give infants the injection puts them significantly at higher risk of life-threatening brain bleeds and long-term disabilities.
“Vitamin K at birth is safe and effective, and while refusal is still uncommon with rates in the United States remaining under 1 per cent in most hospitals, our review found in recent years, there have been increases in parents refusing this supplement for their newborns,” said study author Dr. Kate Semidey of the Florida International University in Miami in an interview with Newsweek.
“This trend is concerning because our review also found that babies who do not get the Vitamin K injection are 81 times more likely to develop Vitamin K deficiency bleeding.”
Vitamin K is a nutrient that helps with the clotting of blood. When babies are born, they have naturally low levels of Vitamin K. A Vitamin K injection is an essential part of a baby’s early-stage medical care as it can prevent Vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a rare but dangerous condition.
According to The American Academy of Neurology, the injection is a supplement and not a vaccine.
“Our findings point to an urgent need for health care professionals to provide prenatal counseling to parents to ensure they understand that Vitamin K can dramatically reduce preventable brain injury and its lifelong impact,” Semidey said.
