03/19/2024
💚 Knowledge is power, and you have choices.
What information should we offer when parents decide to decline vitamin K?
Most parents choose to give vitamin K but some decide to decline this intervention.
Sometimes these parents are given a hard time.
What they are not always given is helpful information.
Information about what they should look for in case their baby is the one in several thousand who experiences the unexpected bleeding that has come to be called ‘vitamin K deficiency bleeding’, or VKDB.
So here's a list of the key things that we might want to suggest that parents look out for in babies who have not received vitamin K.
This is for information / discussion purposes only, of course, and isn't intended to constitute or replace individualised midwifery or medical advice.
PLEASE read the blog post in full, as there isn't room for nuance and detail on social media. For instance, yes, pink spots can sometimes be normal in little girls - more info in the blog post.
Any parent who is concerned about their baby should seek appropriate advice.
There is lots more about this and related issues in my book, Vitamin K and the Newborn.
And more at https://www.sarawickham.com/original-articles/five-things-parents-should-know-if-they-decide-to-decline-vitamin-k-for-their-baby/
The book also goes through the evidence and is designed to help parents make the decision that is right for them, as well as to help care providers and birth workers better understand the evidence and the issues.
If you are considering your options about vitamin K, I hope you'll find it useful.
