Vitamin K Shot Refusals Rise as Infant Bleeding Rates Jump

Rates of life-threatening bleeding in U.S. infants have risen sharply since 2017 as parents increasingly refuse protective newborn doses of vitamin K.

Key Clinical Takeaways:

Newborn vitamin K refusals climbed significantly between 2017 and 2025 across the United States.
Two studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics linked rising refusals to increased infant bleeding events.
Infants missing the vitamin K shot faced more than double the risk of brain bleeding and hospital-stay death.

Two Studies Connect Rising Refusals to Infant Bleeding Spikes

Two separate studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics revealed that life-threatening bleeding rates in U.S. infants escalated concurrently with a decrease in routine vitamin K administration. Babies are not born with enough vitamin K to help their blood clot properly, making the single intramuscular injection given shortly after birth a critical standard of care since 1961.

Historical Declines in Vitamin K Administration Since 2017

Researchers examining medical records from 11 million infants six months and younger between 2017 and 2025 found that the percentage of newborns receiving the injection dropped from 97.7% to 95%. Concurrently, vitamin K deficiency bleeding nearly quadrupled. Dr. Steven Woolf, an epidemiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, noted that the 2025 bleeding rate was approximately double the level recorded in 2024. A separate study led by Dr. Kristen Scott at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia tracked records for over 5.2 million U.S. infants, showing that the refusal rate more than doubled from 3.1% in 2017 to 6.8% in 2025.

Infant bleeding episodes jump as Vitamin K refusals rise

Assessing the Clinical Risks of Untreated Vitamin K Deficiency

Infants who did not receive the vitamin K injection faced a 47% higher risk of bleeding within their first six months of life compared to treated infants. Untreated newborns experienced more than twice the risk of brain bleeding and hospital-stay death with a bleeding diagnosis. According to the study calculations, one additional bleeding event occurred for every 114 newborns who missed the preventive shot. Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond who led the Virginia Commonwealth University study, emphasized that these findings demonstrate the real-world implications of growing public health mistrust.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and scientific communication purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment plan.