What you should know about Vitamin K deficiency bleeding

More newborns in the United States are at risk of potentially life-threatening bleeding as an increasing number of parents refuse vitamin K injections routinely administered shortly after birth, according to two new studies.

The findings, published on November 5, 2026, show a rise in vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) alongside declining acceptance of the injection, which helps newborns develop the ability to clot blood.

Here are the key facts about the condition and why health experts are concerned.

 What is vitamin K deficiency bleeding?

Vitamin K deficiency bleeding is a condition in which a baby bleeds because the body does not have enough vitamin K to support normal blood clotting.

Vitamin K is essential for producing clotting factors, which help stop bleeding. When an infant has insufficient levels of the vitamin, bleeding can occur internally, including in the brain and gastrointestinal tract.

The condition can be life-threatening, particularly when bleeding happens inside the body and is not immediately visible.

Why are newborns at risk?

Babies are naturally born with low levels of vitamin K, making them more vulnerable to the deficiency during their first months of life.

Breast milk and other normal sources of newborn nutrition do not contain enough vitamin K to provide the protection infants need at this stage.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the deficiency can cause serious bleeding in babies up to six months of age.

How can vitamin K deficiency bleeding be prevented?

A single vitamin K injection administered shortly after birth helps protect babies against the condition by providing enough of the nutrient for normal blood clotting.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended the injection since 1961.

The CDC says newborns who do not receive the injection are 81 times more likely to develop severe bleeding than babies who receive it.

What did the new studies discover?

Two studies published on November 5 found that declining acceptance of vitamin K injections coincided with an increase in infant bleeding cases.

The first study, published in *JAMA Pediatrics*, analysed medical records involving approximately 11 million infants aged six months and younger.

It found that the proportion of newborns receiving the injection fell from 97.7 per cent in 2017 to 95 per cent in 2025.

During the same period, the rate of vitamin K deficiency bleeding nearly quadrupled. The rate recorded in 2025 was also approximately twice that of 2024.

The second study examined 5.2 million medical records and found that refusal rates more than doubled, rising from 3.1 per cent in 2017 to 6.8 per cent in 2025.

It also found that babies who did not receive the injection had a 47 per cent higher risk of bleeding during their first six months.

Risks for babies who do not receive the shot

The second study found that babies who missed the injection were twice as likely to suffer brain bleeding or die when hospitalised for a bleeding-related diagnosis.

Researchers estimated that one additional bleeding event occurred for every 114 newborns who did not receive the injection.

The CDC has also warned that babies can experience bleeding in the brain or intestines without their parents immediately noticing the problem.

Why are more parents refusing vitamin K injections?

Health experts have linked the increase in refusals to medical misinformation, vaccine hesitancy and declining trust in public health recommendations.

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Some parents are concerned about injection pain, possible side effects or whether the treatment is necessary.

Others mistakenly believe the vitamin K injection is a vaccine, while some prefer childbirth practices involving fewer medical interventions.

Dr Ivan Hand, director of neonatology at NYC Health + Hospitals Kings County, said growing mistrust of public health interventions was contributing to the trend.

“I think it’s sort of a general mistrust in our country that’s grown in the last 10 years or so,” Hand previously told USA TODAY.

What are US health authorities saying?

The CDC continues to recommend vitamin K injections for newborns. However, the agency does not currently track the rate at which parents refuse the injections or the number of related bleeding cases.

US lawmakers called on the agency in July to begin collecting such information following reports of babies dying after their parents declined the injections.

The US Department of Health and Human Services told Reuters on November 5 that the CDC still recommends the shots but did not confirm whether it would begin tracking refusal rates and bleeding incidents.

The researchers behind the two studies noted that their findings establish an association between declining vitamin K uptake and increased bleeding cases, but do not prove that refusal alone caused every reported incident.

( USA TODAY)