Study: Infant bleeding rates spike 347% as parents refuse vitamin K shots

Vitamin K protects newborns

Newborns do not make enough vitamin K, a nutrient needed for blood clotting. Shots given at birth have been standard practice in the United States since 1961. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not track refusals or resulting bleeding cases, according to the report. Researchers have instead examined hospital and medical records to assess the trends.

Studies track rising refusals

A study published last December by Dr. Kristan Scott and researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that more than 5% of US infants missed vitamin K in 2024. That represented a 77% increase from 2017.

Scott’s updated research examined records for more than 5.2 million infants born from 2017 to 2025. Infants who missed the injection had a 47% higher risk of bleeding in their first six months; researchers estimated one additional bleeding case for every 114 newborns without a dose.

Bleeding cases nearly quadrupled

A separate analysis led by Dr. Elizabeth Wolf of Children’s Hospital of Richmond covered 11 million infants aged six months or younger from 2017 to 2025. Vitamin K administration declined from 97.7% to 95%, while deficiency-related bleeding nearly quadrupled.

Researchers identified 5,217 bleeding cases across more than 11 million births. The article describes the rise as a 347% spike, while also characterizing the increase as nearly fourfold.

Mistrust concerns health experts

The article links increasing refusals to growing mistrust of vaccines and other newborn interventions. It says refusals rose steadily after the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The report says Kennedy has removed six childhood vaccines from recommended schedules, but legal action has paused those changes. Wolf said the findings show a need for clear public health messaging about vitamin K.