Vitamin k injection?

lady_V · Mar 22nd, 2012, 10:24 AM

I am totally confused about the vitamin k injection! None of the midwives I have seen have mentioned it, and I meant to ask about it at my appointment this week but forgot.

I have tried looking for information but it is confusing me. Does anyone know the advantages/disadvantages?

MysticalBug · Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:02 AM

vit k injection is supposed to help stop internal bleeding in the baby as they apparently have a vit k deficiency when they are born. They say the injection is safe but there have been links to childhood leukaemia, its neither proved or disproved much like everything else they say is safe. Vit k can also be given orally to the baby though this is a less reliable method of getting it into their system. I wont be going down the injection route personally, orally i believe is a safer option. hope that helps

Platinumvague · Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:06 AM

Our daughter will not be receiving the injection.I'd like take vitamin k supplements and let her get it through breast milk.If not that I'll have them give it to her orally.

http://drbenkim.com/vitamin-K-shot-baby.html

maysiemoo · Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:24 AM

both mine had it no problem. I was given a leaflet about it today at my 28 appt.

libbylou · Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:13 PM

I've opted to have it.
I did some research and couldn't find anything negative enough to keep me from consenting to it (BTW, all the stuff I've read showed that the link to leukemia wasn't proven...it was like one study and they were never able to replicate it)
I figured one jab was less irritating than shoving a nasty tasting oral version into her mouth on 3 separate occasions

Tacey · Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:35 PM

Unless the birth is traumatic, we're opting out. I find it hard to believe that all newborns are deficient (surely if the entire population has 'low' levels, then they aren't really low...) and would rather not have intervention. I felt bullied into giving some form of it last time, and ended up giving it orally, but wouldn't want that again.

eve31 · Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:36 PM

At my last antenatal class on Tuesday the MW said she recommended it. She said babies that don't have it have a 1 in 4000 chance (or something like that) of bleeding in their brains. Since introducing the injection there are no recorded babies that have died of bleeding. She also recommended the injection rather than the oral method. I am not saying she is correct and must admit that I haven't actually done any research on it myself, but I am going to allow my little girl to have it. I figure that it if it wasn't safe it wouldn't be offered.

BabyBennett · Mar 22nd, 2012, 15:06 PM

I won't be allowing it unless I have a traumatic delivery. I've researched this loads and babies "low" levels were in comparison to adults. A number of countries in Europe only offer the jab if you have a C-Section or forceps delivery. It has been shown that if you delay cord cutting and are able to give the first breast feed then it provides enough Vit K to not need the jab.

However when I tried to discuss this with the midwife at my antenatal class I was definitely ignored - she advised everyone that it was the normal thing to just give the jab

KiwiMOM · Mar 22nd, 2012, 16:53 PM

we've decided to opt out unless my MW recommends it because of trauma, etc. In this case we would get the injection as the baby gets the full dosage for sure every time. By the time the final oral dosage is given the baby is producing Vit K on their own so I don't see the point?

Mar 22nd, 2012, 10:24 AM	#1
lady_V Pregnant (Expecting) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Essex Posts: 81	Vitamin k injection? I am totally confused about the vitamin k injection! None of the midwives I have seen have mentioned it, and I meant to ask about it at my appointment this week but forgot. I have tried looking for information but it is confusing me. Does anyone know the advantages/disadvantages?

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:02 AM	#2
MysticalBug Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: manchester Posts: 28	vit k injection is supposed to help stop internal bleeding in the baby as they apparently have a vit k deficiency when they are born. They say the injection is safe but there have been links to childhood leukaemia, its neither proved or disproved much like everything else they say is safe. Vit k can also be given orally to the baby though this is a less reliable method of getting it into their system. I wont be going down the injection route personally, orally i believe is a safer option. hope that helps

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:06 AM	#3
Platinumvague Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 758	Our daughter will not be receiving the injection.I'd like take vitamin k supplements and let her get it through breast milk.If not that I'll have them give it to her orally. http://drbenkim.com/vitamin-K-shot-baby.html

Status: Online

Mar 22nd, 2012, 11:24 AM	#4
maysiemoo Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: oxfordshire uk Posts: 1,338	both mine had it no problem. I was given a leaflet about it today at my 28 appt.

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:13 PM	#5
libbylou Pregnant (Expecting) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 2,357	I've opted to have it. I did some research and couldn't find anything negative enough to keep me from consenting to it (BTW, all the stuff I've read showed that the link to leukemia wasn't proven...it was like one study and they were never able to replicate it) I figured one jab was less irritating than shoving a nasty tasting oral version into her mouth on 3 separate occasions

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:35 PM	#6
Tacey Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 5,971	Unless the birth is traumatic, we're opting out. I find it hard to believe that all newborns are deficient (surely if the entire population has 'low' levels, then they aren't really low...) and would rather not have intervention. I felt bullied into giving some form of it last time, and ended up giving it orally, but wouldn't want that again.

Status: Online

Mar 22nd, 2012, 14:36 PM	#7
eve31 Pregnant (Expecting) Active BnB Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: London Posts: 99	At my last antenatal class on Tuesday the MW said she recommended it. She said babies that don't have it have a 1 in 4000 chance (or something like that) of bleeding in their brains. Since introducing the injection there are no recorded babies that have died of bleeding. She also recommended the injection rather than the oral method. I am not saying she is correct and must admit that I haven't actually done any research on it myself, but I am going to allow my little girl to have it. I figure that it if it wasn't safe it wouldn't be offered.

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 15:06 PM	#8
BabyBennett Pregnant (Expecting) Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 284	I won't be allowing it unless I have a traumatic delivery. I've researched this loads and babies "low" levels were in comparison to adults. A number of countries in Europe only offer the jab if you have a C-Section or forceps delivery. It has been shown that if you delay cord cutting and are able to give the first breast feed then it provides enough Vit K to not need the jab. However when I tried to discuss this with the midwife at my antenatal class I was definitely ignored - she advised everyone that it was the normal thing to just give the jab

Status: Offline

Mar 22nd, 2012, 16:53 PM	#9
KiwiMOM Pregnant (Expecting) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,843	we've decided to opt out unless my MW recommends it because of trauma, etc. In this case we would get the injection as the baby gets the full dosage for sure every time. By the time the final oral dosage is given the baby is producing Vit K on their own so I don't see the point?

Status: Offline

User Name		Remember Me?
Password