Medical Questions » Pregnancy Questions » Question No. 1491
| Question: | What is your view on vitamin K given to newborn babies? |
| Answer: | Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and is manufactured by gut bacteria. It is given to all newborns either orally or as an injection because a very small number of babies get haemorrhagic disease in which they bleed uncontrollably. When they are first born, babies do not yet have sufficient gut bacteria to produce their own vitamin K, but can receive it via breast milk, provided the mother is not deficient. The mother may be deficient if she has an imbalance in her gut bacteria, does not eat cruciferous vegetables (which provide vitamin K), takes certain drugs or excessive vitamin A supplements, or has liver or gut disease. Breastfeeding encourages the growth of healthy gut bacteria in the baby, who can then make their own vitamin K within a few days. This process is obviously hindered by antibiotics.
So, if the mother has good digestive health, eats cruciferous vegetables, breastfeeds, and if the newborn is healthy enough to not require antibiotics in the first few weeks of life, there seems no need for vitamin K supplementation, though oral drops seem an unobtrusive intervention that can benefit a small number of infants. I doubt that there is anything to the suspected link between vitamin K injections and cancer, though an injection does seem an unnecessary trauma for the vast majority of newborns. I didn' t opt for this at the birth of my children. |
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