United States infant bleeding rates rise amid vitamin K refusals

Two major studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics reveal a significant increase in life-threatening bleeding among infants in the United States, linked to a rising number of parents declining routine vitamin K injections at birth.

Research analyzing over 5 million health records found that the percentage of newborns not receiving the vitamin K shot more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, rising from 3.1% to 6.8%. A separate analysis of more than 11 million infants showed that vitamin K deficiency bleeding increased by 347% during the same period.

Medical experts note that while the vitamin K shot is a nutritional supplement and not a vaccine, its refusal has trended upward alongside growing mistrust in public health and childhood vaccinations. Infants who do not receive the injection face a 47% higher risk of bleeding within their first six months and more than double the risk of intracranial hemorrhaging, which can lead to permanent brain damage or death.