Is vitamin K injection safe for newborns?

Since 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended supplementing low levels of vitamin K in newborns with a single shot of vitamin K given at birth. Low levels of vitamin K can lead to dangerous bleeding in newborns and infants.

What are the side effects of vitamin K injection in newborns?

Can there be any complications or risks?

• An allergic reaction may present as swelling of your baby’s throat, face, lips and mouth or sudden swelling of your baby’s hands, feet and ankles. If your baby has an allergic reaction, tell a doctor or midwife straightaway.
• A reaction may occur where the injection was given.

Why can’t newborns make vitamin K?

Babies are at risk for VKDB for the first 6 months of life. That’s because most of the vitamin K the body makes comes from the foods we eat and the healthy bacteria in our intestines. Until they start eating solid food at about 6 months of age, babies don’t have enough naturally produced vitamin K.

How much vitamin K do newborns get?

When infants receive 2 mg of oral Vitamin K at least three times during infancy (at birth, 4 to 6 days, and 4 to 6 weeks) or 2 mg of oral Vitamin K after birth and 1 mg of oral Vitamin K every week for three months, statistics from Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark show that somewhere between 0 to 0.9 infants out of …

What are the side effects of vitamin K injection?

Pain, swelling, or soreness at the injection site may occur. Temporary flushing, taste changes, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, or bluish lips/skin/nails may also rarely occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Does vitamin K shot cause jaundice?

Another myth is that the vitamin K injection increases the risk of jaundice—which is inaccurate. Jaundice associated with vitamin K has been observed only in high risk babies (such as premature babies) in doses 30-60 times higher than the dose we give.

What is the disadvantage of vitamin K?

Kidney disease: Too much vitamin K can be harmful if you are receiving dialysis treatments due to kidney disease. Liver disease: Vitamin K is not effective for treating clotting problems caused by severe liver disease. In fact, high doses of vitamin K can make clotting problems worse in these people.

How common is vitamin K deficiency in newborns?

Early and classical VKDB are more common, occurring in 1 in 60 to 1 in 250 newborns, although the risk is much higher for early VKDB among those infants whose mothers used certain medications during the pregnancy. Late VKDB is rarer, occurring in 1 in 14,000 to 1 in 25,000 infants (1–3).

Does vitamin K shot contain mercury?

This association has been debunked by numerous high-quality studies; there has been no association found between the vitamin K shot and childhood leukemia. Additionally, many parents worry about the possibility of mercury in the vitamin K shot. The Vitamin K shot does not contain mercury derivatives.

Can a pregnant woman take vitamin K?

Pregnancy. Vitamin K has not been reported to cause birth defects or other problems in humans. However, the use of vitamin K supplements during pregnancy is not recommended because it has been reported to cause jaundice and other problems in the baby.

Does vitamin K make your blood thicker?

Vitamin K helps your blood to clot (thicken to stop bleeding). Warfarin works by making it harder for your body to use vitamin K to clot blood.