# Is there anything negative about Vitamin K?



## SarahBear

Hello,

I know what the risks and possible negative effects are of NOT giving my baby Vitamin K. If I am to consider the oral dose of vitamin K, what are the possible negative effects of choosing to do so? Are there any controversies surrounding vitamin K or the oral dose in particular?

Edit: I'm referring to an oral dose for the baby instead of an injection.


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## 29andHolding

Hi Sarah!

There are a few of them to watching including vitamin K. They are vitamins A, D, E and K. 

"Too much Vitamin K is associated with babies having worse cases of jaundice. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin due to a buildup of bilirubin in the body."

Here's the link :)


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## SarahBear

29andHolding said:


> Hi Sarah!
> 
> There are a few of them to watching including vitamin K. They are vitamins A, D, E and K.
> 
> "Too much Vitamin K is associated with babies having worse cases of jaundice. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin due to a buildup of bilirubin in the body."
> 
> Here's the link :)

That article has to do with pregnancy. I'm talking about right after birth.


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## pimento1979

The only thing I've read about is that it would affect the virgin gut but nothing definitive.


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## MindUtopia

I've only vaguely started to research this myself so we can decide what to do. The main thing I've heard, like pimento1979 said above, is that it can affect the baby's virgin gut, so putting something in there that isn't natural and isn't your milk. I'm not exactly sure what that means, as it what negative effect would that have, but it actually almost worries me more than the injection because I think digestion is so important to breastfeeding (and breastfeeding is really important to me). Actually, the injection doesn't worry me too much. It's a weird thing to do and I'm not quite sure why babies really need it (except that it can prevent bleeding in rare cases), but the studies on the risks of the injection aren't very good or convincing (I'm a scientist and medical researcher so I read scientific reports all day). I'm not personally too worried about the injection so I think we'll do it, mainly because of my concerns of messing with the digestive system, which I think is so critical in those first few days. Also, doing it orally just seems like a lot of effort as you have to give multiple doses over time. I'm not sure personally I'd want to do that, but that's obviously just a personal preference. 

There's a bit on oral vitamin K at the bottom of the page here: https://www.betterbirth.com/site/vitamin-k


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## ace28

I've done research on this and still don't really understand it. It seems like a lot of the arguments I've read against it are that babies don't "naturally" have a high level of vitamin K anyways, and so therefore supplementing them with it is introducing something not natural to their system?

I'm not sure that's enough to dissuade me from allowing my baby to be supplemented, since it seems like the risk of hemorrhage and complications from not having the vitamin k outweighs, in my mind, the risks of simply supplementing them with a higher dose than is naturally found. *shrug*


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## Feronia

Unless there are physical signs of trauma that would warrant the supplemented vitamin K, I&#8217;m going to take vitamin K supplements myself after birth instead (and eat an obscene amount of kale during my last few weeks :haha: )! That way I can transmit a higher amount of vitamin K through breastmilk.


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## gryphongrl

Feronia said:


> Unless there are physical signs of trauma that would warrant the supplemented vitamin K, I&#8217;m going to take vitamin K supplements myself after birth instead (and eat an obscene amount of kale during my last few weeks :haha: )! That way I can transmit a higher amount of vitamin K through breastmilk.

WSS :thumbup:

I can't find an oral supplement that provides the complete ingredients and source and that concerns me - so, I can't find anything negative OR positive, and Dr. Mercola only says there aren't enough studies to determine whether oral supplementation is safe or no. I've got a 6-a-day multi from whole food sources that has quite a bit of vit K in it, plus eating the leafy greens daily... So I've read that if you allow the kid to empty one boob before starting on the other, they'll get all the healthy hind milk with the vitamins.


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## MrsSmartie

It is because their sterile gut does not yet have the Vit K it needs for clotting and in some rare cases (approx 1:10000) babies can develop Haemorragic disease of the newborn where they start to bleed internally and there's nothing anyone can do. The Vit K means that they cannot get this. I would give the injection personally. It's then all done, the babies don't notice if they are feeding etc. As a midwife, they seem to dislike it more orally because it tastes horrid and they have to have three doses. Each to their own though. X


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## MrsSmartie

Also, be aware that it has porcine devivatives. They don't tell people that and they should! X


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## MindUtopia

MrsSmartie said:


> Also, be aware that it has porcine devivatives. They don't tell people that and they should! X

Is this the oral dose or the injection? I'm Jewish, so obviously that's a no-no. That alone would be enough to sway me one way or another. It's bad they don't mention it considering how many religious and cultural groups don't eat pork, not to mention all the vegetarians and vegans out there.


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## MrsSmartie

In the UK the oral and injection is exactly the same thing. Same vial and everything, just given in a different way. :-/ I don't know if there are other options or if it's changed at all. Research needed i guess. X


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## MrsSmartie

Looking online I can't find anything about where it comes from! Someone told me this at work so i have no proof either. It is called Konakion, Phytomenadione, vitamin K1. I have even read the leaflet from the box and it doesn't say suitable for vegetarians but it doesn't say that it's porcine either... confusing!


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## SarahBear

Hm... Well I was told that the oral dose is orange flavored and that it is done following a European protocol (I'm in the US by the way).


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## pimento1979

Pessaries are made using pig semen, but I haven't heard about pig derivatives being used in Konakion. Here's the data sheet on Konakion: medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/k/Konakiontabinjoralsoln.pdf

FWIW, I opted for oral Vit K after Eva was born because my waters had broken 48 hours before she was born and she had obvious bruising on her forehead (presumably from knocking against my cervix for so long). It was a right pain in the arse... they gave her the first dose in hospital where she was born, but then also had to go to hospital on day 5 and then get a prescription from the GP, get it filled, then go back to see a practice nurse on day 28 for the last dose. To be honest, I think she spit up most of it anyway!

This time, I really won't do it unless instruments/traumatic delivery are involved...


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