Vitamin K deficiency bleeding in babies surged 347% as parents skip shots
Studies show vitamin K deficiency bleeding in babies increased 347% between 2017 and 2025, linked to parents declining the protective shot.
Two large studies, published last week and covering millions of births, found babies without a vitamin K shot had much higher bleeding risk. The rate of vitamin K deficiency bleeding jumped 347% from 2017 to 2025.
The single injection, introduced in the 1960s, nearly eliminated this rare condition. The condition can cause dangerous bleeding and death.
Parents have increasingly refused the shot. They distrust medical interventions or follow social media advice to pursue natural birth.
Without it, babies are dying. Autopsies show how their systems shut down without warning.
- 11 days old
- Infant age at bleed
- New Braunfels, Texas
- Location
- Lonestar 24HR ER
- ER facility
- 1960s
- Shot introduction
Why it mattersParents choosing to decline routine vitamin K protection face a genuine life-or-death risk for their newborns that few understand.
AustraliaAustralian midwives and GPs should discuss the vitamin K shot openly with expectant parents; the data shows serious consequences when families decline.
