JAMA
Parental refusal of newborn vitamin K prophylaxis nearly doubles from 2017 to 2024
This retrospective cohort study analyzing over 5 million births from 2017 to 2024 found the proportion of infants not receiving vitamin K nearly doubled—from 2.92% to 5.18%, a 77% relative increase—highlighting growing parental refusal tied to vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions.
Clinical takeaway: Reinforce the critical importance of intramuscular vitamin K at birth by discussing its proven efficacy in preventing vitamin K deficiency bleeding and proactively addressing parental concerns around safety, necessity, and needle discomfort.
Source:
Scott K, et al. (2025, December 8). JAMA. Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41359326/