Vitamin K - injection or oral? Is oral less effective?

[dan39]

I am 39 weeks and birth plan wise I am thinking oral but I don't know if I am taking risks and it might be better just to get the whole thing over with via injection. My concern would be the oral dose might get 'sicked up' again?

Any views? Part of me thinks a big injection isn't the nicest hello for the lo...

To be honest i went with the jab for my DD it was over so fast she didn't even make a sound and I didn't want the trouble of it being 'sicked' up or not getting the 2nd dose at the right time. My mw did say that the jab was more effective and more widely used but i guess it is just up to you own feelings

HTH

I was happy to skip it altogether but DH disagreed
We went with oral in the end although I would have reconsidered if the baby had had a rough time with birth eg forceps

I also would have skipped it but for DH - and mine had it orally. DD1 only had one dose afaik but I was living overseas and so dazed and confused there might have been another. DD2 had 3, I think? I had to get the phials from the pharmacist: the MWs did the first one (after I saw them with a needle and went OY!) and I gave the others myself.

Currently considering this for next arrival. I went with oral with first DD (3 doses over a month). Needles aside, some research that I came across implied that part of the issue with Vit K injections (IF they can increase likelihood of childhood cancers) is that the size of the dose in one shot can have an greater effect on cell division. Therefore for this reason (as well as not injecting unnecessarily) oral might be preferered as the dose is more staggered.

However, I am still confused I have to say as to why mother nature would get vit K levels so wrong in newborns ? Who is to say they are?
This is quite interesting
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/05/26/vitamin-k-injections.aspx

Thanks for the responses - I will continue to ponder as I will no doubt be late...!

We've had 3 children and we've failed to remember to give it to them consistently each time.

Injection. Several studies have found no increased risk, and I was comfortable with going with the advice to inject. As it happens, although I had a textbook birth (didn't even need pain relief except G & A) my son had severe feeding problems after and became jaundiced and frail, which would apparently have put him at increased risk of VKBD. So I'm glad he did. Known life-threatening risk trumps theoretical possibility, to my mind. The Australian guidance was helpful to me. Having said that, it's a private health decision that impacts nobody but your baby, so you need to do what feels right. I'm big on using Western medicine where appropriate and trusting research, but you may not be.

For what it's worth, I chose a physiological third stage. That's believed by some to help avoid VKBD, and everyone agrees a physiological labour is ideal where possible, so I figured, why not try? If you really feel anxiety about the jab, maybe couple that with oral administration. You can always change your mind if placenta delivery is painful for you and get the accelarator.

I had a natural 3rd stage too and decided to give it orally.

Like you I thought the idea of someone jabbing my newborn not very nice! The oral dosage went fine, didn't forget to give it, he even seemed to like it the first 2 times, felt mean with the 3rd dose though as he cried but I breastfed him straight afterwards and it was fine.

I agree with what jasper said as well.

my yoga teacher today said that if you take arnica and breastfeed it means that the baby doesn't need the vitamin k - you need to take arnica 200 three times, once when you go into labour, once just after giving birth, and once I think a couple of days later (please check this though as I can't remember when the 3rd lot has to be taken)

Migola, my understanding is that breast-fed babies need the vitamin K more than formula-fed, as it's supplemented in formula and not present in breastmilk. (I say that as someone expressing all DS' feeds at 3 months and planning to till 6m, and then most till he's a year - in fact that's why I'm awake at 3 am - he can't bf but I know bm is amazing stuff so am prepared to do it). Arnica is apparently great for bruising, but I don't see how it can replace a vitamin that prevents a potentially fatal condition - am I missing something?

Dan39, if you decide on the shot you can ask them not to jab your baby till you're cuddling skin to skin and bf (my ds can't, but most can/do and breastmilk/colostrum is a natural painkiller). That way it's not very traumatic for them. I honestly found it fine, and DS was unimpressed but not distressed by it.

god you poor thing, I HATED expressing (but used to love the feeling of having a nice stash in the freezer!).
I gave DD the injection (it was all a bit of a blur really), but was thinking of giving it orally this time until the yoga teacher mentioned arnica - arnica is good for clotting the blood (bec a bruise is effectively a blood clot), which is what vitamin k does.

Isn't arnica a bit dangerous taken internally, though? (I don't know, I just googled because I was curious, but this was the first thing I found.)

I HATE expressing, yeah. I'm rather gutted that feeding is pretty much out for us - two clinical procedures, 2 lacation consultants and a specialist clinic later - but I suppose he's getting the milk, and I'm lucky I can express enough. I know many people can't. 'est la vie, hey.

DD had the oral. They gave her a dose at hospital and gave me two more to administer at home. From what I could gather, the only concern was that they would sick it up again. I am BF.

She took the doses happily, if you do it slowly and into the side of the mouth it seems to go down quite well, I just didn't see the need for her to have a jab so early on.

What was interesting was that as I was being discharged, I asked the midwife what I should do if she were to sick up one of the doses, should I call, get another dose? She said that there was no need to do anything, she would probably get enough from my breast milk any way, the K was just in case! So it didn't even matter if she puked it up!

It does bloody smell though, the oral! Smells like chip fat.

that's interesting LLPJ
qally have not heard anything before about arnica being dangerous - will check your link, thanks

Ok (I'm medical and am going to retreat after this and not get embroiled in a big fight).

I don't know why babies are vit k deplete but they are. Haemorhagic dis of the newborn (HDN) is reported worldwide and can be a significant cause of morbidity.

Most countries in the developed world advocate an IM (injection) dose shortly after birth.

Oral doses are available.

HOWEVER. There are NO cases of HDN in IM treated babies. There are case reports (so weak evidence, but evidence none the less) of HDN in babies who received oral Vit K. Previously there were concerns about IM Vit K and childhood cancers - however a series of big meta analyses (where they look at lots and lots of data) has disproven this link.

There are big issues with oral Vit K because not all babies get all the doses (either because we, the professionals, or their parents forgot, or they vomited or or or). All 3 doses are needed for it to be truly efficacious

I've seen 3 babies damaged by HDN. I only worked in Paediatrics for 3 years. Having a stroke in the first 6 weeks of life is devastating for the baby concerned and their family.

My baby will get IM. I know there are parts of the UK where oral is first line. If I lived there I would still ask for IM.

I'm not medical... but I'm about to be a mum and as far as I'm concerned you have to make up your own mind as there are always risks. Personally I doubt that in most cases vit k is needed however...that's the risk factor. I'm going for the oral dose as having recently done a tour of hospital saw some poor baby (that we heard screaming for at least 10 mins as we walked down corridor) being given vit K injection made me want to cry so decided I'd go for a gentler option and take the small risk of it being sicked up.

worth being fully informed though so have a look at this

www.nct.org.uk/info-centre/publications/view/35

we had oral- fprreasons i wont give you as totally anecdotaland would besilly in amnyone else I thin. but ultimatelyas wellasthat i didnt want my boyswelcomed to lifewith an injection when there was an alternative.

3 doses.