Skipping Newborn Vitamin K Shot Linked to 47% Higher Bleeding Risk

Deep Dive: Skipping Newborn Vitamin K Shot Linked to 47% Higher Bleeding Risk

Parenting · 8 November 2026

A large JAMA study of more than 5.2 million US infants found that the share of newborns who did not receive the routine intramuscular vitamin K shot more than doubled from 3.1% in 2017 to 6.8% in 2025. Infants who skipped the shot had a 47% higher risk of bleeding in the first six months and more than twice the risk of intracranial bleeding.

Background

Newborns are born with low vitamin K stores. The intramuscular shot at birth has been standard for decades to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), including late-onset bleeding that can cause brain hemorrhage.

What changed

On 5 November 2026, JAMA published a retrospective cohort study (Scott et al.) using Epic Cosmos data. Nonreceipt rose steadily. Adjusted risk ratios showed clear elevation for bleeding, intracranial bleeding, and death with concurrent bleeding during the birth hospitalization. A companion analysis in JAMA Pediatrics reported a 347% rise in vitamin K deficiency bleeding episodes over the same period.

Competing viewpoints

Clinical consensus (AAP, CDC) continues to recommend the IM shot. Some parents prefer oral vitamin K due to injection concerns. Public health notes rising refusals coincide with broader drops in routine preventive care.

What to watch next

Expanded counseling, regulated oral options where refused, CDC tracking of refusal and VKDB rates, and updates to prenatal materials. Discuss the shot with your delivery team. Evidence supports the standard IM dose for most newborns.