Vitamin k injection

[Elkalv]

Are you planning to give vitamin k injection toon/drops to your newborn? Is there an option to opt out?

Of course there is. Why wouldn't you give the injection?

Yes, my DD had them just after birth and yes, there was an option to opt out. Why are you thinking about opting out?

These people opted out. www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/parents-refused-vitamin-k-injection-for-newborn-son/news-story/a4694fac8762ccfa0c339a9230defc0d

You don't opt out.

They simply ask before they give it, you simply say no.

I however said yes, I see no reason not to.

You can opt out. And if I had my time again I would.

you can take drops or the injection. You can also say no if you wish. If you are breast feeding I would recommend it as you can't pass this vitamin on. It is however in formula.

I opted out with all my dc. I just said "No, thanks." when asked if they were having it. There was no issue.

You can opt out of anything you like. We'll be getting the injection. Better than baby having a brain haemorrhage...

You could opt out, but you would be ignoring over 2 decades of strong evidence which demonstrate the effectiveness of Vit K at reducing infant death from haemorrhage. All babies are born Vit K deficient, regardless of their genetics or any health/dietary habits of the mother during pregnancy. It takes time for them to build a store through feeding, during which time they are at risk of fatal haemorrhage. Why wouldn't you give them the injection?

Definitely opt out of any injections for babies as they're all a Big Pharma conspiracy. There's definitely no evidence to back them up and I hear the NHS only do it as they have so much spare cash they need to waste some.

You can opt out altogether or you can get the oral drops, which we did. Not because of any specific concerns, but the drops are just as effective (although you give several doses over a period of a few weeks), and I figured the baby could absorb what they needed (and just what they needed) that way. It just felt instinctively wrong to inject a large dose of a clotting factor into a new born, but most do without obvious problems.

User2468

I'm going to assume you're taking the piss and being deliberately hilarious...

Vitamin K and the Newborn This is a really good article written by Sara Wickham, who explains the research and controversies regarding Vit K really well. You absolutely can choose for your baby not to have vitamin K, it's about making an informed choice that's right for you and your baby!

If your baby requires a tongue tie division, neonatal input or any form of surgical input they will need Vik K. Tongue tie dividers won't do the procedure until 24hrs after vit K. Just food for thought

Thank you all, and special thanks to hopeandjoy for very interesting read. I just feel it's unnecessary if all goes well. Of course if there will be any issues I will follow doctors advise.

If there are any serious issues that Vit K would have prevented, by the time you know about them it will probably be too late.

OP, my understanding from what the midwives have said is that they have no way of knowing which babies are at risk of a bleed, which is why it's recommended for them all. Even if everything goes well, their brain has been through quite a trauma.

Just interested to try to understand why someone would opt out? If it is the needle you are not keen on (understandable) there is a course of drops instead. Is there some controversy that I haven't heard about?

We went with the drops for DC2. The chances are low but the if your baby happens to be the unlucky one it will be catastrophic and not much they can do before it's too late. At least do the drops.

I had gestational diabetes, and so my baby needed heel orick tests when she was born. They also accidentally contaminated the cord blood sample to check if I needed the anti-d, and had to take a blood sample from her. I didn't want her to have any more needles, so opted for the oral vit k.

It was easy to administer, and we had to give two follow up doses at home.

It just feels wrong to inject with something like this newborn when the chances are so low. At the very least I don't want my baby to have additional pain. I will consider oral k but still not convinced that it is required.

Rucking that's just not true. My ds had a tongue tie division and he had no vitamin k.

That's interesting SecretFreebirther. The trust where I work has it written in our guidelines that Tongue Ties can not be divided unless the baby has had Vit K and it was at least 24 hrs ago.
I assumed this was quite generic advice but obviously not, my apologies, however will be the case in some areas.

The vitamin k injection is something and nothing for a newborn. Mine both had it while breastfeeding, they gave a little squeak and that was that. Do you realise how serious a brain haemorrhage is? If you insist on not wanting the jab then please consider the drops.

Rucking I can see that it would make sense, it hadn't occurred to me before. I guess the incidence of not having vit k in any form is quite low so perhaps they just assumed? Interesting.