vitamin k

[motherearth23]

https://www.beyondconformity.org.nz/_blog/Hilary's_Desk/post/Breastmilk_stem_cells/

^^ This is the article that made me decide to skip the Vitamin K shot for my babe. My boyfriend was born at home and had no shots whatsoever and was an extremely healthy child.

This article also furthered my decision to do delayed cord clamping/possibly lotus birth.

 

[sue_88]

I have done my research and baby will be having the Vit K by mouth.

From the UK

 

[lau86]

my LO will be getting the injection as recommended by the NHS, I wouldn't trust it to be absorbed orally. The vit K is recommended for a reason (to help prevent clotting problems) and I wouldn't personally turn down something that is in a national programme.

 

[Feronia]

We skipped both the injection and the oral and I took vitamin K supplements after birth and ate lots of vitamin-K rich food (like kale!) We would have done the injection if she was born with any signs of trauma, but she had a gentle birth and was perfect so there wasn't the need. She had had no shots or any foreign substances -- just breastmilk -- and had been very healthy!

 

[misslissa]

I'm just looking at the arguments for and against vit k, it's such a hard decision.

My gut says do it but the oral version as its less traumatic and the cancer risk seems more related to the injection.

OP what was you final decision?

 

[summer rain]

In the UK the injection is exactly the same formulation as the oral version, unlike in other countries where the formulations differ between the two. There is more research on it being injected than being given orally; and there is no research on more than two oral doses being given (a minimum of three is advised). Also the oral dose now in use is a larger dose than the injected dose; and is given on at least three occasions (if breastfed), so it is 1mg for the injected version, 6mg for the oral version altogether. Here is a link to the insert leaflet. As far as I know Konakion is the only version of vitamin K licenced for newborns in the UK.

https://www.drugs.com/uk/konakion-mm-paediatric-2-mg-0-2ml-leaflet.html

xx

 

[misslissa]

Really interesting SummerRain thank you.

It's a difficult decision. From what I've read the childhood cancer link hasn't been disproved but hasn't been proved either. Not helpful. Plus there is the trauma of the baby having to have it, it's a deep injection, not nice for anyone let alone a tiny baby.

 

[summer rain]

It is really hard. As far as I have been told by midwives who are normally anti-vax so they are not biased towards vax/injections in any way that the dose of the injection that was found to cause an increased risk of leukaemia was many times of that in use these days and consequent studies have found no link. I do know some people who chose no vitamin K at all and got away with it, as haemhorragic disease of the newborn is extremely rare in full term babies but I wouldn't feel comfortable completely going without. All mine have needed at the very least, invasive blood tests and various other 'needles' in the early days, and in two cases they have had an IV, because they are all heavily jaundiced due to genetic causes so I figure one more injection is not going to add any extra trauma. I wish we could avoid all the needles but sadly its not an option xx

 

[Kess]

I stopped researching when I found that even in the original study that showed a possible leukemia link, the chance was smaller than the chance of hemorrhagic disease without Vit K. There are obviously also the later studies that throw lots of doubt on the original leukemia link, but even assuming that there is one, it was a smaller risk than the hemorrhagic disease risk of not giving the Vit K. My LO had the injection. My IMW who was very into natural everything also was supportive of the Vit K injection, which helped.

I wouldn't do eye goop, but we're in the UK so we don't anyway as we're tested for all STDs in pregnancy.

 

[misslissa]

I think I'm going to go for the injection, I can't completely decide and will probably change my mind again but I think it's the way to go. OH isn't so sure yet so he's doing a lot of reading too.

 

[readynwilling]

i declined the eye ointment, but we are going with the vit k shot. Both are law here, so i had to sign forms to not give the eye ointment.

i decided the eye goop was unnecessary as i don't have any std's and my DD had eye infections from a blocked duct for the first year of her life, so if im gonna have to deal with the infections anyway why bother to give a preventative treatment that doesn't help.

The Vit k shot - i just couldn't come up with enough reasons for myself personally to not have it done. I am the worst at forgetting to give/take oral anything.... so its better for us that he gets it just in case. im not even sure if they offer oral drops in canada.

 

[Larkspur]

Just adding this link to the thread as a balance to the other points offered earlier. There are genuine risks to not having the shot, such as this baby who suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and other complications after the midwife forgot to administer or offer it to the mother:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892632

 

[summer rain]

BTW my youngest had the vitamin K injection and like all my others he didn't even flinch. Thankfully he didn't need any jaundice testing or treatment as I was expecting, though he is still slightly yellow in the face so not sure if he will be sent for prolonged jaundice testing as we still haven't been discharged properly by the midwives and they are seeing him for the last time tomorrow. He did have on and off mild bleeding from his cord stump long after it fell off though so I am glad he had the vitamin K xx

 

[Dream.dream]

Just adding this link to the thread as a balance to the other points offered earlier. There are genuine risks to not having the shot, such as this baby who suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and other complications after the midwife forgot to administer or offer it to the mother:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892632

We will be doing oral vitamin k. Yes it happens sometimes but giving them a shot isn't the only way to prevent this .

 

[Komatsu]

We will most likely give the injection again but will be skipping the eye goop again .