Trending Now - Parents' Refusal of Vitamin K Shots Puts Infants at Risk
WHO:
ProPublica - Dr. Tom Patterson, a pediatrician at St. Luke’s hospitals, expressed concern about climbing refusal rates for the vitamin K shot and reported that at least two babies treated at St. Luke’s died within the last year from complications related to vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
ProPublica - Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding the safety of the vitamin K shot, to which Kennedy responded, “I’ve never said, literally never said, anything about it.”
ProPublica - Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding the safety of the vitamin K shot.
ProPublica - Dr. Jaspreet Loyal, a pediatric hospitalist at Yale Medicine, commented on the lack of awareness among providers regarding vitamin K deficiency.
ProPublica - Dr. Anna Morad, a pediatrician at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, emphasized the importance of the vitamin K shot.
ProPublica - Dr. Robert Sidonio Jr., a pediatric hematologist oncologist, recognized a cluster of cases related to vitamin K deficiency.
ProPublica - Dr. Kristan Scott, a neonatologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, highlighted the need for a robust system to monitor vitamin K refusals.
WHAT:
ProPublica - In 2025, the refusal rate for the vitamin K shot at St. Luke’s Health System reached 9.8%, with one hospital reporting that 20% of babies did not receive the shot.
ProPublica - Doctors at St. Louis-based Mercy hospitals reported that 1,552 babies across all their hospitals did not receive the vitamin K injection in the previous year, compared to 536 in 2021.
ProPublica - In 2025, the refusal rate for the vitamin K shot at St. Luke’s Health System reached 9.8%, with one hospital reporting that 20% of babies did not receive the shot.
ProPublica - In 2024, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, with a significant portion likely caused by vitamin K deficiency.
Ars Technica - Hospitals report an increase in parents declining vitamin K shots for their newborns.
ProPublica - Vitamin K shots help blood to clot and are one of three key interventions for newborns, along with an antibiotic eye ointment and the hepatitis B vaccine.
ProPublica - More than 5% of newborns in the U.S. did not receive vitamin K shots in 2024, a 77% increase from 2017.
ProPublica - Babies who do not receive the vitamin K shot are 81 times more likely to develop late vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
ProPublica - According to the CDC, 1 in every 5 babies with vitamin K deficiency bleeding will die.
ProPublica - In 2024, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, with a significant portion likely caused by vitamin K deficiency.
WHERE:
ProPublica - A 7-week-old boy in Maryland developed sudden seizures.
ProPublica - An 11-pound girl in Alabama stopped breathing for 20 seconds at a time.
ProPublica - A baby boy in Kentucky vomited before becoming lethargic.
ProPublica - A brown-haired girl in Texas bled around her belly button.
ProPublica - Hospitals in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas reported an uptick in families declining the vitamin K shot.
WHEN:
ProPublica - In December, the CDC stopped recommending that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine.
ProPublica - A federal judge temporarily blocked the revised childhood vaccination schedule in March.
ProPublica - In 2024, a national study found that the rate of U.S. babies not receiving vitamin K at birth topped 5%.
ProPublica - In 2025, the refusal rate for the vitamin K shot at St. Luke’s Health System reached 9.8%.
WHY:
ProPublica - Many parents decline the vitamin K shot due to unfounded fears and misinformation spread through social media.
ProPublica - The rise in refusals is attributed to a post-pandemic trend affecting childhood vaccinations.
HOW:
ProPublica - Some hospitals have started to run their own numbers regarding vitamin K shot refusals, but the effort is inconsistent and data is usually kept in-house.
ProPublica - Doctors at St. Louis-based Mercy hospitals reported that 1,552 babies across all their hospitals did not receive the vitamin K injection in the previous year, compared to 536 in 2021.
ProPublica - Doctors have attempted to educate families about the benefits of the vitamin K shot through community outreach.
ProPublica - Some hospitals have begun to track the number of families declining the vitamin K shot, but efforts are inconsistent.
(UPDATED May 6, 2026 21:20 UTC)
Dr. Tom Patterson, a pediatrician at St. Luke’s hospitals, has raised alarms about the increasing refusal rates for the vitamin K shot, noting that at least two babies have died in the past year from complications related to vitamin K deficiency bleeding. In 2025, the refusal rate for the vitamin K shot at St. Luke’s Health System reached nearly ten percent, with one hospital reporting that twenty percent of babies did not receive the shot, while Mercy hospitals in St. Louis revealed that 1,552 babies went without the injection last year, a stark increase from 536 in 2021. Although some hospitals are beginning to track their own refusal rates, the efforts are inconsistent and the data often remains internal.
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(UPDATED May 6, 2026 19:26 UTC)
In a recent exchange, Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the safety of the vitamin K shot, to which Kennedy insisted he has never made any statements regarding it. Last year, the refusal rate for the vitamin K shot at St. Luke’s Health System hit 9.8%, with one hospital noting that 20% of newborns went without the shot, while over 700 newborns tragically died from spontaneous brain bleeding in 2024, likely due to vitamin K deficiency. Additionally, Mercy hospitals in St. Louis reported that 1,552 babies did not receive the vitamin K injection in the previous year, a stark increase from 536 in 2021.
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(UPDATED May 6, 2026 17:30 UTC)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questions from Representative Kim Schrier about the safety of the vitamin K shot, as hospitals report a concerning rise in parents opting out of this crucial intervention for newborns. In 2024, over 5% of U.S. newborns did not receive the vitamin K shot, marking a staggering 77% increase since 2017, with babies who forgo the shot being 81 times more likely to suffer from late vitamin K deficiency bleeding. Experts, including pediatricians and neonatologists, are calling for better awareness and monitoring systems to address this alarming trend, which has already led to tragic outcomes, including more than 700 newborn deaths from spontaneous bleeding in their brains.