Is it safe to give newborns vitamin k?

Yes: Vitamin k helps the newborn to gain the ability to have normal coagulation. This has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage of the newborn. Because its a shot, many parents do not want to give it but the risk of not giving it can be significant.

Yes: Rare cases of vitamin k have been reported which is apparently due to a deficiency in the mother. The vitamin is non-toxic and if your newborn has bleeding, your first step should be to go quickly to your pediatrician for diagnosis since there are more common disorders of bleeding.

Yes: The human newborn does not have the ability to clot normally (without the shot) until about 8 days of age. This begins naturally after normal gut bacteria are acquired through feeding and help convert vitamin ingested K to an active form. The shot gives them a boost that protects them for the first weeks & decreased brain bleeds from birth trauma.