Vit K - injection or oral?

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

Not sure whether this should actually be udner childbirth or not, so apologies if nto appropriate.

We've pretty much decided we will agree with our baby having Vit K, but I'm not really sure what pros and cons are of injection .v. oral. My initial feeling is to go for oral because it just seems a bit weird to give a newborn baby an injection (silly hippy thinking!), but am aware that maybe having several oral doses may not be as effective in case they sick it up...also how is it even given orally? I'm planning on breast feeding so would I have to express and it be mixed in, or would it be syringed in?

confuuuuuuuuuused!

[Seona1973]

I chose the injection as it was over and done with within seconds. I felt that to give it orally meant more faffing about as you have to give several doses - the injection was the easy option for us.

[Seona1973]

Vitamin K

[HolidaysQueen]

I agreed to the injection for my DS - TBH I didn't even notice him having it as they did it so quickly and it didn't make him noticeably any more upset. We figured we'd rather get it over and done with then having to go back and forth from the doctors to get the oral (believe you have to have the doses at several week intervals rather than all just post-birth)

[welovepinkmilk]

We gave both ds and dd the oral, we didn't have the option of injection. We didn't have to keep going back to the doctors though, we were sent home from the hospital with enough capsules and syringes for the doses we needed, along with the dates when we had to give it. I bf both and just gave it like you would give any other medicine with a syringe.

[MrsTittleMouse]

DD1 had oral vitamin K. The midwife gave us when she came to do her regular checks, so we didn't need any extra appointments. DD had a rough arrival into the world, and I didn't want to cause her any more stress. The heel prick test was bad enough. The midwife told us that it had stopped hurting and she was crying because she was upset by it. It caused all the blood to go to her lungs though, and out of her foot, so that it took even longer.

[WobblyPig]

many years ago there was concern that oral Vit K administration was associated with slightly higher incidence of childhood leukaemias. not sure what the current opinion is. I opted for IM but I'm pretty sure that they would not be offering it orally if there were true concerns these days.

[jimblejambles]

Both ds had oral vitamin k. We based it on one of the big hospitals where we live refuse to give the injection due to links to childhood leukaemia.