Researchers found newborn bleeding risks rose with declining vitamin K shots
Infant bleeding cases surged last year amid an increase in parents declining newborn vitamin K shots, a JAMA Pediatrics study reports. The share of babies not receiving the shot more than doubled, from 3.1% in 2017 to 6.8% in 2025. These babies had a 47% higher risk of bleeding in their first six months.
More context
Rates of infant bleeding events rose as more parents declined vitamin K shots for newborns, a study published Thursday in JAMA Pediatrics found. Researchers analyzed more than 5.2 million health records in Epic Cosmos. In 2025, 6.8% of babies were not given the shot at birth, up from 3.1% in 2017; the share increased from 5.6% to 6.8% between 2024 and 2025. Among babies born at 35 to 43 weeks’ gestation, those who did not receive vitamin K had a 47% higher risk of any bleeding event in their first six months than those who did. Their risk of brain bleeding during that period and of death during the birth hospitalization each more than doubled. The study did not establish why rates changed.
Was this story useful?
What was the main problem? (optional)
Reporting
- The New York Times — Infant Bleeding Surged as Parents Rejected Vitamin K Shots, Studies Find
- The Washington Post — Infant bleeding surged last year as parents refuse vitamin K shot for newborns - The Washington Post
- southernillinoisnow.com — More parents are declining vitamin K shots for newborns, putting more babies at risk of bleeding: Study | South Central Illinois' News, Sports and Weather Station
Verifier’s note
The New York Times and The Washington Post report newly published findings linking increased infant bleeding with more parents declining newborn vitamin K shots. Southern Illinois Now also reports the trend in an ABC News story; the PR Newswire and WFMZ results are press-release or sidebar material, not direct reporting.