vitamin K.... injection or oral? Advice?

[orangina]

Hello, I'm expecting my 1st baby in a few weeks time, and am putting together my birthplan now (, should probably have done it by now...!), and I have had conflicting advice as to whether I should be giving vitamin K by injection or orally. Midwives are pushing for the injection, but medicals in the family are advising orally, due to (as yet unproven) potential links with childhood illnesses... I know there is a wealth of knowledge and opinion out there from all you MNetters, all advice and experience gratefully listened to! Thank you ....

Basiclly, yes. Also, it seems unnecessary for formula fed infants because infant formula has unnaturally high levels of Vit K. Breastfed babies can apparently benefit from the mother taking Vit K supplements for around 10 weeks.

The website I was looking at implies that it is the large dose of Vit K in one go that poses the theoretical health risk, hence the suppoedly "safe" option of 3 low doses orally.

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Our children didn't have Vit K at all and were fine.. Our reasoning was that they were born at term and healthy above average weights, normal deliveries after healthy pregnancies and to a healthy family. In all respects we are low-risk for virtually everyhting, so why give the baby what might be unnecessary drugs?

That said, my sister's friend's second child (born at term, good weight) did not have Vit K and had haemorrhagic disease - and was seriously ill for a long time. He's fine now.

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It was this one. Probably American. I didn't do any research outside this, I just wanted to remind myself what it was for.

we have 7 doses to give orally.......

I don't know enough about A's circumstances, but I do know that in the past she and her dp had taken drugs, smoked, drank etc - not condemning anything, just mentioning it as who knows whether that may have affected the baby, even if it was no longer part of their lives?

It seems to me that a lot of 'official' recommendations are based on lowest common denominator logic. In other words, what advice can be given that is as simple as possible and can be applied to as many people as possible? It's easier to say 'Do XYZ' than to say 'Do XYZ, unless your circumstances are such-and-such, in which case do XYQ.'

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Havnig children is risky from conception. Yep, they grow up, run in front of cars, take dope, drink and go out with trashy girls and violent boys. vitamin K imo is just one more attempt to instill fear and the feeling that we as mums cannot produce an adequately nourished and healthy baby. its all a crock imo (remember, imo). We cant possibly give injections for everything and the chances of 5 out of 100,000 (dont know if these stats are valid?) that baby will hemhorrage does not warrant each baby being given a dose of vitamin K. Like i said, where does it end? In 20 years, how many injections/oral doses are our kids going to get before they see mama?

Rather than worrying about not giving the vitamin K, we should be worried about what is in it, does it cause cancer, did we really need to give our perfect little baby this dose of something we dont even know what its made of? Remember thalidomide? what is the effect of vit. k 20 yrs down the line?

Sorry folks, you cant give an injection for everything, why is vit k given and not something which prevents addictive behaviour? How long before our babies are injected with all sorts. All i am saying is i would prefer my little baby, if healthy is given back to me in hospital in the condition s/he came out, i.e. pristine, without injections or alien fluids shoved down its mouth thank you very much.

baba had it orally as i didnt want the injection as i thought the poor mite must be knackered after me gave birth to her so the last thing i wanted was the the needle and it will make her cry..

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Neither of mine had any... for the 1st, the young (and I mean she looked 20) paediatrician said "in this country all babies have it"... made me smile she was thai... managed to leave the hospital before she came back!
With 2nd - the MW was totally supportive of our refusal.
AIMS produces a very good leaflet on this topic.
www.aims.org.uk

Here is info on the AIMS booklet:
Vitamin K and the newborn

Written by Sara Wickham, published April 2003
Does my baby need Vitamin K? Should I agree to an injection, an oral dose or not? Can I postpone my decision? Which babies are at risk?
Sara is a practising midwife who has written this very informative booklet designed to help you make a decision about this routine treatment. £5.50

I am trying to decide what to do about this too. No mention was made of any links to leukemia in any class - midwife led or NCT - (maybe because the research that suggested that has been discredited).

There was just a mention in one of the leaflets I got saying that injections were safe and there was no evidence of a link to leukemia.

Said it has been since 1998 in the UK it has been advocated as routine.

I wonder what proportions of children have them, which have oral vs injection, and if there are any studies yet about its efficacy.

I was leaning towards oral, but the leaflet said it tastes horrible (and I don't want it to end up like trying to give my cats worming tablets, lol).

I haven't seen anything on it lately, had an NCT leaflet about it a couple of years back when I had DS

He had oral vit K and only cos the labour was rather long
About to have no2 and will either go for nothing or oral again