Infant Bleeding Surges as Vitamin K Shots Decline

Infant bleeding incidents have significantly increased in the United States as more parents decline the vitamin K shot for newborns. Two studies published on November 5, 2026, found a sharp rise in infant bleeding coinciding with a drop in vitamin K injections. Between 2017 and 2025, the percentage of newborns receiving the shot fell from 97.7% to 95%, while vitamin K deficiency bleeding rates nearly quadrupled.

Babies not given the vitamin K shot, essential for blood clotting, faced a 47% higher risk of bleeding within their first six months, with some studies indicating a doubled risk of brain bleeds or death. This alarming trend is attributed to a general mistrust in public health, vaccine hesitancy, and misconceptions about the shot's necessity and safety, exacerbated by the pandemic. Health experts emphasize that the vitamin K shot is not a vaccine but a vital nutrient injection easily preventable and crucial for infant health.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the CDC still recommends the shot, though they declined to commit to tracking refusal rates or bleeding events. Health experts are concerned that the rarity of severe bleeding, due to the shot's long-standing efficacy, may have led parents to underestimate its grave consequences. Lawmakers had previously urged the CDC to begin tracking these incidents following reports of infant deaths after shot refusal.