Protective vitamin shots for newborns on decline

January 13, 2026

Protective vitamin shots for newborns on decline

Babies at birth lack an important substance called vitamin K. This vitamin doesn't readily pass from mother to child via the placenta. And breast milk contains only small amounts. Babies need vitamin K because it helps the body form blood clots that stop bleeding. When blood does not clot well, small injuries such as a bruise can continue bleeding much longer than normal. Lack of vitamin K puts infants at risk of bleeding in the brain and throughout the body during the first six months of life. Although this bleeding condition is rare, it can be severe and even deadly.

In the 1960s, the U.S. began to routinely give newborns a single vitamin K shot into the thigh muscle. Injections of the nutrient are preferred over oral delivery, because a baby's developing gut can't readily absorb vitamin K. The vitamin shots essentially eliminated cases of bleeding from vitamin K deficiency nationwide. But in recent years some small studies have found evidence that more U.S. parents may be refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns.

An NIH-supported research team decided to take a broader look at the use of vitamin K shots. Led by Dr. Kristan Scott of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the scientists analyzed information from a nationwide database of electronic health records. They focused on babies born during the eight-year period from January 2017 to December 2024. Their analysis included data from 403 hospitals across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Results were reported in JAMA on December 8, 2025.

Of the more than 5 million newborns included in the analysis, the researchers found that almost 200,000 (3.92%) did not receive the vitamin K shot. Over time, the number of babies that did not receive the shot rose from 2.92% in 2017 to 5.18% in 2024. That's a 77% increase in infants not receiving the shot over the eight-year period.

In assessing other traits of newborns, the team found that non-Hispanic White newborns were most likely not to receive the vitamin shot (4.3%). In contrast, only 3.4% of non-Hispanic Black and 3.3 of Hispanic newborns didn't receive the shot. Babies born via vaginal delivery were also more likely not to receive the vitamin K shot (4.2%) compared to those born via caesarean delivery (3.2%).

The researchers note that the available data could not distinguish the reasons behind the decline in vitamin K shots. But based on previous studies, they suggest that parent refusal is likely a significant factor. The scientists also note that further study is needed to determine if this trend leads to an uptick in serious health problems for newborns.

"There may be a growing perception among parents that vitamin K is unnecessary," Scott says. "Unfortunately, opting out of vitamin K for a newborn is akin to gambling with a child's health, forgoing a straightforward and safe measure that effectively prevents severe complications."

Related Links

• Mother's gut microbes may influence offspring's immunity
• Screening newborns for deadly immune disorder saves lives
• Nutrition supplement increases infant birth size
• Vitamin K fact sheet
• Protect your baby from bleeds (CDC)

References

Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants. Scott K, Miller E, Culhane JF, Greenspan J, Handley SC, Lo JY, Knake LA, McKenney KM, Burris HH, Dysart K. JAMA. 2025 Dec 8:e2521460. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.21460. Online ahead of print. PMID: 41359326.

Funding

NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).