Will you be giving your newborn the vitamin K injection?

[Emmiedarling]

Just the above question really. I want to make an informed decision!

there are now bacteria immune to the antibiotics that science provided

Would it have been better not to use antibiotics to treat infections just because bacteria would eventually evolve resistance? The alternative being people dying from said infections?

No a Vit k injection doesn't effect the gut. But I don't want to inject a newborn baby. AND I don't want to give the oral drops, because they do effect the gut. So, given my own research plus the chat I've had with my doula and my CMW I choose neither.

"Mother Nature knows best".

Moronic. Without doubt the stupidest thing I've heard in years.

And I quite agree soupdragon science absolutely is NOT always better. I don't believe life operates on such absolutes. If that statement were true then the recent birth place study wouldnt have found that home birth is SAFER than hospital birth, for 2nd time mums. But it did - and that's another thread entirely...

"as well as Calpol etc"

even for a high fever? a relative of mine died as a baby for want of calpol! I'ld take a bit of gut irritation over death any day!

(I do not give calpol for mild fevers - they do a job, or for mild pain - BM and cebeebies work quicker and better IMO, but think its MADNESS to avoid it all together, high fevers KILL babies!)

Bagofholly I agree with you too! It's NEVER one or the other is it? There are a million different situations where a million different solutions could apply - some based on science, and intervention; some based on letting nature take its course. Why do these things always descend into black or white arguments?

"In terms of shockingness to a newborn, I think a little prick is probably way down the list" - I agree, their skin must be so overwhelmed with being in air suddenly and wrapped in fabric or up against bare dry skin etc that I can't imagine an injection feels to them how it feels to us who are used to our skin!

Lacking Go back and reread my post.

badger, just being nosy now but you said if you had a traumatic birth you'd give the oral drops - if they affect the gut and the injection doesn't and you're worried about the gut, why not the injection instead?

I don't get this mother nature argument, TBH. Nature is not a person, it doesn't have intent, it didnt design us. Nature is just what is there, nothing more.

Also, Crohns and Colitis are not "a bit of gut irritation". They both involve serious medication to prevent SEVERE anal bleeding and bowel inflammation. The drugs involved are serious and the long term prognosis of living with a chronic autoimmune disease is not great.

My baby has a statistically significantly higher chance of inheriting a serious bowel disease, than suffering HDN. So I choose no Vit K.

Also, Crohns and Colitis are not "a bit of gut irritation"

I know exactly what they are, and compaired to death I'ld still say its an irritation, in that you CAN live with it!

Noble because I don't want to inject a newborn baby. I birth gently and without intervention. I've had one drug-free water birth in hospital, and am planning a home water birth this time. I don't anticipate the need for intervention (but remain open-minded - I'm not psychic after all!)

Lacking You said: "even for a high fever? a relative of mine died as a baby for want of calpol! I'ld take a bit of gut irritation over death any day!"

Perhaps you missed the bit where I said:

"It's an AIM however. Something I think is beneficial in a family where chronic gut disease is an issue, but of course if there are any strong medical indications that additional medicines need to be given orally, then of course we will review the situation."

I hope you get the birth that you want, badger :)

Without Science I and my DH would both be dead, I might not have even been born. So yes the world would be less over-populated, but actually I'd prefer to use science to keep me and my family safe. That doesn't mean I don't check, but like the majority of parents in this country I did agree to vitamin K, the heel prick and vaccination, I also allowed medical intervention so I didn't die in child birth (which was a real risk for my first pregnancy). We also use medicines normally, and trust our doctors on the whole.

Things go wrong, I'd like to have modern medicine to help me when they do (or to help prevent it).

and there's a strong medical indication for vit K
it prevents death, like giving calpol profilactially - we don't know which high fever will kill, we just know it can, just like we don't know which baby will die for want of vit K, but we know some would without it

Oh and noble I've just reread your question and see what you're getting at. You make a good point and in that situation I would probably go for the injection.

I really think that like any parenting/medical decision, one has to do their own research, talk to health professionals, get their opinions and then relate it to your own family situation and philosophy.

My choices may not suit everyone, but they certainly suit me and my family.

mummytime Yup, without science my brother and mother would be dead. Without science my husband and sister bleed and bleed and bleed until... I don't know what (death?). Science is wonderful. I love it. But sometimes we don't need it. If we needed science all of the time, I wouldn't be planning a home birth. We are all capable of reading research, asking health professional's opinions and making decisions.

And thank you noble Me too!

My dd had it. I don't know what the reaction was. We had a very traumatic birth ending in a catergory 1 c section and in the scheme of things the vitamin K injection was barely on the list of things I registered, though I did originally say I couldn't bear the thought of a needle near a newborn etc etc, why do they need it etc. In the scheme of things it was really the last thing I should have worried about. She is fine on all fronts and the vit K jab did no harm either.

My baby will have the vitamin K injection or the drops, I have no diea what they offer at my hospital to be honest. If they offer both, I'd go for the injection to reduce the risk of me forgetting the booster drops later (I understand you need further doses if you choose the drops?)

Personally I don't think an injection is that traumatic, it's only a little needle, and they're going to have a lot of them over the (hopefully) next 90 years.

DS had the vitamin K injection and so will DC2. It didn't seem to bother him and he was then subjected to heel prick tests several times a day until we went home 4 days later so needles were fairly unavoidable.

Badgerina, can I respectfully point out that you don't birth gently, you have birthed "gently" once. And even that positive experience will have involved your baby being squeeeezed out. A tiny subcut jab isn't comparable.
My babies were all born very gently - no squeezing at all, just lifted out, fully alert and looking around. By c section. They all had the jab, none of them even cried.

BagofHolly of course. You can point that out. But I'm not feeling like being persuaded out of my carefully considered decision, so I'm not sure what the point of continuing this is really? I'm not trying to say my way is right for everybody, in fact I've stated the opposite. So, I guess... I'm saying don't try and convince me you're right either? Can't it be possible that we're both right, in our different family situations?