Vitamin K Refusals Double as Infant Bleeding Events Surge in U.S

U.S. newborn vitamin K refusal rates more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, climbing alongside a sharp surge in infant bleeding disorders, according to two major studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers analyzing millions of birth records found that infants missing the standard injection face significantly higher risks of life-threatening hemorrhages and brain bleeding during their first six months of life.

Refusal Rates and Bleeding Surge in National Data

Medical records tracking millions of births across the country show a steady retreat from a protective practice established in 1961. A study led by Kristan Scott at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reviewed data on more than 5.2 million U.S. infants born between 2017 and 2025. The proportion of newborns who missed the vitamin K shot more than doubled, moving from 3.1% in 2017 to 6.8% in 2025. That figure had already reached 5.1% by the end of 2024.

A separate study led by Virginia Commonwealth University epidemiologist Steven Woolf examined electronic health records for 11 million infants aged six months and younger between 2017 and 2025. During this span, the share of newborns receiving injectable vitamin K slipped from 97.7% to 95.0%. Concurrently, diagnoses of vitamin K deficiency rose by 216%, while vitamin-K-deficient bleeding increased by 347%.

Infants who skipped the shot faced a 47% higher risk of any bleeding event within their first six months compared to those who received it. Their risk of intracranial or intracerebral hemorrhage more than doubled, as did the risk of death during birth hospitalizations with a bleeding diagnosis. Across the nine years examined, 2,151 infants were diagnosed with vitamin K deficiency and 5,217 with vitamin K-deficient bleeding, with most diagnoses occurring in the first week of life.

Why Newborns Need Vitamin K

Newborns enter the world with low vitamin K levels because the nutrient crosses the placenta poorly, human breast milk contains low amounts of it, and infant guts produce very little on their own.

Without it, infants risk classical vitamin K deficiency bleeding within their first week, or late deficiency bleeding up to six months of age. Roughly 20% of vitamin K deficiency bleeding cases prove fatal, and an estimated one in every 114 newborns who skip the vitamin K injection will experience bleeding problems during their initial half-year of life.

Researchers and clinicians note that vitamin K is a nutritional supplement rather than a vaccine. Some parents decline the injection in favor of alternative approaches, driven by concerns over pain, toxicity, or perceived lack of benefit, alongside broader skepticism toward public health recommendations following the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers point out that oral vitamin K administrations, already utilized internationally, could provide an alternative pathway in the United States should the current trend of injection refusals persist.

Now we’re stepping away from that and we’re seeing the consequences,

Dr. Steven Woolf, an epidemiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University

Public Health Concerns and Acceleration in 2026

Public health experts compare the rising refusal trends to recent measles outbreaks, pointing to an erosion of trust in medical professionals. Data from an exclusive analysis of more than 1 million births nationwide by health analytics firm Truveta showed that vitamin K refusals accelerated sharply during the first half of 2026, jumping by more than 57% between January and June.

Editorial commentary accompanying the JAMA publications calls for coordinated educational efforts among pediatricians, public health agencies, and manufacturers to help families understand the risks of declining the injection.

Parents with questions or concerns about newborn vitamin K prophylaxis should consult qualified pediatricians or healthcare professionals to discuss the benefits of the injection, what risks come with declining it, and what signs of deficiency require urgent medical attention.