Mother/Mom/Baby/Infant
More Parents Refusing Newborn Vitamin K Shots as Study Finds Refusals Doubled and Infant Bleeding Risk Rising

PHILADELPHIA — More American parents are declining a routine vitamin K shot for their newborns, and cases of dangerous bleeding in infants are rising, according to a new study.

The proportion of infants who did not get the injection rose to 6.8% in 2025, more than double the 3.1% rate in 2017. The research was published Thursday in JAMA Pediatrics. It examined health records for more than 11 million U.S. newborns.

The increase accelerated recently. Between 2024 and 2025, the share of babies who did not receive the shot rose by about 20%, from 5.6% to 6.8%.

Higher risk of bleeding and death

Children who did not get the shot had a significantly higher risk of bleeding by six months of age, including bleeding in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. They were also more than twice as likely to die during birth hospitalizations with bleeding.

Babies who skip the shot are 81 times more likely to develop the bleeding disorder, according to the CDC.

Lead author Dr. Kristan Scott said the findings show "more babies are at risk of bleeding."

Doctors see the shift firsthand

An Idaho pediatrician described how common refusals have become. On one day this year, Dr. Thomas Patterson said, he had 10 babies and "five of them went out of the hospital without vitamin K."

Patterson said many parents mention that vitamin K carries a black box warning. Some parents also mistake the shot for a vaccine, though it is not one.

Explaining the stakes

Study author Heather Burris compared the shot to wearing a seatbelt: it greatly reduces the chance of a serious bleed and its consequences.

The study does not identify a cause, though scientists note the change comes amid growing skepticism toward public health.

Oral option

Vitamin K can also be given by mouth, and experts say offering oral vitamin K could help limit harm when parents decline the injection. Doctors urged parents to speak with a trusted health care provider before refusing the shot.