More Newborns Are Missing Their Vitamin K Shot, and Pediatricians Are Worried

It’s not a vaccine, and it’s been given safely to newborns since the early 1960s. So why are more families skipping it? Here’s what the latest research shows, and what parents should know before deciding.

A growing number of newborns have not been getting their vitamin K shot, according to research, and doctors are expressing concern.

A study published by JAMA and conducted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that the share of newborns who didn’t receive a vitamin K shot has more than doubled in a span of eight years. From 5.2 million health records analyzed, 3.1% of babies in 2017 didn’t receive a vitamin K shot, while in 2025, 6.8% was recorded.

“This is certainly evidence that more babies are not receiving vitamin K, and more babies are at risk of bleeding,” said lead author Dr. Kristan Scott, now an assistant professor of pediatrics at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Dr. Thomas Patterson, a pediatrician from Idaho, has also observed an increasing number of parents declining the vitamin K shot for their newborns lately, an unusual occurrence in his nearly 30-year career as a medical professional.

“One day [this year], I had 10 babies and five of them went out of the hospital without vitamin K,” he told ABC News.

If you’re wondering why doctors are worried about babies skipping their vitamin K shots, here’s what you should know.

According to the CDC, vitamin K aids in blood clotting, which means it can help prevent bleeding. When babies are born, they have very little vitamin K, owing to the tiny amounts that pass through the placenta and the fact that the gut bacteria that help produce it haven’t developed yet. Breast milk is also low in vitamin K, so doctors are pushing for the shot.

Without enough vitamin K, babies are at risk of bleeding, known as vitamin K deficiency bleeding. When this happens, it can affect the intestines or brain, sometimes leading to brain damage or death.

What’s more, the warning signs aren’t usually apparent before a life-threatening bleeding begins, and babies who don’t get the shot are 81 times more likely to develop the late-onset form of the condition, which can happen anytime between 1 week and 6 months after birth.

According to the JAMA study, babies who didn’t receive vitamin K had a 47% higher risk of any bleeding in their first six months. Their risk of bleeding in the brain more than doubled, as did their risk of dying during their birth hospitalization. Because the researchers looked back at existing health records, the study shows a strong link, rather than definitive proof that the missing shot caused each bleed.

It takes only a single shot at birth to protect the baby, a recommendation that’s been in place in the U.S. since the early 1960s. As to why parents have been declining the shot, doctors say misconceptions are among the reasons.

Some parents are worried about the black box warning, but according to ABC News, the warning mainly applies to adults receiving high intravenous doses, not the small injection newborns get.

Others think the shot is a form of vaccine. “It’s very important to emphasize this is a naturally occurring vitamin that we all have and that we all need,” said Dr. David Hill, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It has nothing to do with vaccines.”

The CDC assures parents that many studies have shown the vitamin K shot is safe for newborns, noting that the shot can be delayed up to six hours after birth to allow time for bonding. Doctors also urge parents to raise their questions with their pediatrician before skipping the shot.

For parents hesitant about the shot, Dr. Scott Hadland, a pediatrician at Mass General Brigham for Children, points out, “A lot of families are thinking about their baby in the moment but not realizing that the decision they make [not to get the vitamin K shot] actually has consequences that can last for decades.”