vitamin k - anyone not had it?

[surfmama]

i have been reading up on this and some quite influential mw's don't condone the injection shot, has anyone not had this at all, had the oral one instead, and what was reaction of hosi staff, what are your thoughts on the childhood cancer links?

I work in maternty care and have always been surprised how few people question the use of vitamin k, giving their babies over for an injection as one of their first experiences of life without really understanding why.

When i was pregnant with DS2 I reseached the issue and after some wide reading my opinion went along with this:

-www.aims.org.uk/Journal/Vol13No2/vitk.htm

When our son was born at home, gently in water, with physiological third stage, we declined vitamin K. Well, we must have been one of the very unlucky ones because at 6 weeks he had an intracranial haemorrage and was taken, fitting, into A&E. Up until ths point he was healthy, breastfeeding well, and gaining lots of weight. He was diagnosed with Vitamin k deficiency disease and spent a week in HDU. Thankfully, he recovered well, and is now a thriving 2 year old. All but one medical professional were nothing but lovely towards us. When he was 7 months, after much pushing on my part for an underlying cause, he was diagnosed with A1AD, a genetic liver disorder, which explains things a bit. If I hadn't pushed I don't think this would have ever been found and I would have carried all of the guilt ( I carry a bit anyway).

Although the above article still makes complete sense to me, I would not wish our experience on anyone. Oh, and I think the cancer link was completely disproved too.

I think they give drops instead of injection in our area, but only for exclusively breast-fed babies.
I just googled the subject and came up with this article:

thebabybond.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.html

"The Newborn's Diet
Nursing raises the infant's vitamin K levels very gradually after birth so that no disregulation occurs that would encourage leukemia development. Additionally, the clotting system of the healthy newborn is well planned, and healthy breastfed infants do not suffer bleeding complications, even without any supplementation.

While breastfed infants demonstrate lower blood levels of vitamin K than the "recommended" amount, they show no signs of vitamin K deficiency (leading one to wonder where the "recommended" level for infants came from). But with vitamin K injections at birth, harmful consequences of some rare disorders can be averted.

Infant formulas are supplemented with high levels of vitamin K, generally sufficient to prevent intracranial bleeding in the case of a liver disorder and in some other rare bleeding disorders. Although formula feeding is seen to increase overall childhood cancer rates by 80%, this is likely not related to the added vitamin K."

I'm not sure how seriously I would take this article though - they claim that formula feeding increases childhood cancer rates by 80 %, which seems
a very exact figure for a totally unquantifiable assertion.

DS had the drops, had no problems at all, with either the hospital staff or with DS's health. We will do the same for LO due in September. There is NO WAY I want anyone sticking a needle in my newborn unless it is sincerely, absolutely necessary.

I didn't have it at all for my four dc, no injection or oral drops, no vit. K supplement at all.

All four labours were very boring, prolonged pushing, no head moulding, no drama.

The healthcare professionals were all totally fine about not giving vit. K.

thanks everyone. I agree it's funny that people don't question many things really Lou, but i do feel a bit of a freak for having complete non trust and having to work everything out for myself! it is quite exhausting at times! that must have been terrifying and as you say it is your choice for the little one at the time, am pleased it is all okay and don't you think there may be an underlying cause for all these accounts?

I think you are all right, I will go for the drops, but will dig around a bit more first just to make double sure! bumpy - what was your reason for not having? did you read up on it?

I opted out for it as well for both DCs. I'd written on my birth plan that I'd adopt a wait and see approach - if I had forceps or some such then I would otherwise no. In the end no vit I was given.

I read into it and surmised that giving vit k did not prevent all kinds of haemorrhaging issues, the chances of it happening were lower than SIDS for example and that giving every baby a jab for a small event seemed a bit - different to immunisation IMO. Also as I was BF, I felt that nature would have dealt with the levels of vit k - I couldn't work out what a normal level of vit k was judged to be just that a risk of it being far too low was bad.

I read the aims stuff and other bits but it was over 2.5 year ago so can't remember.

I haven't researched the medical background into the pros and cons, so cannot comment on this, but I wouldn't not give it because it might hurt the baby. You surely know from your own experience that injections aren't that painful and the discomfort is very shortlived. can't hurt more than having your head squeezed out of someones vagina, surely I'm almost certain that your baby will not remember this - Just asked by 4yo and 2yo - neither recall it!!!!

Unless there is a medical reason not to have it i.e. the cancer link (althuogh this has been disproved) I would just go for it. Look at the statistics for all babies that have had it and turned out just fine.

I read the research and opted for oral drops as we did have a traumatic birth. It was a bit of a pain as I had to go and pick up the drops for the 2nd and 3rd dose, one from the hospital and one from the GPs. Even though it is a big teaching hospital it didn't seem geared for giving drops and the nurse did comment that it was unusual.

Like worldgonecrazy I'd planned to skip vitamin K as I felt that I'd keep things as nature intended if possible, but then when things went to pot I decided that DS was in the group that would benefit.

I went with the jab though because I decided that he'd forget that quickly, rather than the drops as I was concerned that we'd have troubles feeding and I didn't want to put nasty tasting things in his mouth.

just read back my last post and I meant to say no prolonged pushing! Had my births been complicated in any way, I would have asked for the vit. k.

Anyway, my eldest is nearly 14 and I did read up on it, but it was a very long time ago, so I'm sure there's more recent research. Also I must confess I didn't look into it again for each child, maybe if I had my view would have changed.

When I was pg with dd1 there had been some research that showed an increased chance of leukaemia if the baby had been injected with vitamin K. However this had started to be discredited even back then.

My main reason for refusing the vitamin k was that (maybe naively) I trusted my body and millions of years of evolution to provide what was best for my baby. I was fully breastfeeding and didn't like the idea of giving such a new baby artificial chemicals so soon after birth. I was confident that my milk would have the right amount of what my baby needed. I also ate extra veggies (especially brocolli from memory) to try and make sure my body had more than enough of what it needed to pass on through the milk :)

I think the issue may be that the information about vit K is given upon booking in, with about 1000 other leaflets, it's easy to overlook and then when you've just had a baby, you just go along with it.

DS had the oral dose, it was no issue, I got the impression they didn't do a lot like that, the MW wasn't sure who would provide us with the 2nd dose (it was left with me by the MW who visited at 10 days IIRC).

I haven't given any of my children vit K - similar to Bumpy, I feel there is a reason why babies are born with low vit K levels. Mother Nature is very clever and I don't see a reason to mess with her.
I've not had any issues from any HCP when I've said no.

Yes katy why bother if most are fine? We don't give drugs for a just in case for every ailment.

I wasn't phased about dd or ds having an injection - it was more the vit k itself. Babies have low levels of vitamin k compared to adults - not a surprise nor a deficiency IMO. The jab isn't trying to make up for low vitamin k as such, it's to prevent specific heamorraghing disorders which are very rare.

Mine had neither. The research doesn't make sense to me if the birth is straightforward and cord isn't cut prematurely.