Canadian doctors are raising alarms over a growing number of parents refusing the routine vitamin K shot for newborns, as CTV News’s Heather Wright reports. The trend, driven largely by online misinformation, has physicians bracing for a resurgence of a rare, dangerous bleeding disorder.
Why the shot matters
Newborns are naturally low in vitamin K, a nutrient essential for blood clotting. Without it, infants risk brain hemorrhages and other severe bleeding. “Late vitamin K deficiency bleeding is associated with a three times higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage,” said Dr. Eugene Ng, a neonatologist at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
The Canadian Paediatric Society has recommended the shot for 40-plus years, but refusals are climbing, echoing a Swedish study showing declines more than doubled between 2006 and 2021. “We know it’s very safe and not getting it is incredibly harmful,” said Timothy Caulfield, a professor at the University of Alberta, adding the pushback stems mostly from online influencers.
Related on the SLP
Countering that fear, experts say, will take more relatable messaging, before parents make up their minds and newborns pay the price.
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Related on the SLP
Anti-vaccine hysteria is leading to bleeding deaths in babies
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