QUESTION: Good evening Akin,

I hope all has been well! My question is what is your opinion on the Vitamin K shot in newborn babies? I kind of know what you will say but what do you think some of the pros and some of the cons of the injection in newborns are? As a family friend will be delivering in the coming months and they’re thinking about getting it. As always, thank you for your time!

ANSWER: Prophylactic vitamin K administration is founded on the premise that all children are born with an inherent defect; i.e. a deficiency of the antihemorrhagic factor (vitamin K). This erroneous supposition has led to the routine imposition of invasive, synthetic intramuscular injections on perfectly healthy, exceptionally delicate newborns mere hours after birth. Any intervention that bypasses the digestive system inevitably disrupts natural physiology by influencing the immune system and metabolic processes, thereby introducing an unknown long-term risk.

While it is true that placental transfer of vitamin K is minimal and that breast milk supplies only modest quantities, nature has evolved these mechanisms for a reason. The newborn’s physical structure possesses an innate capacity to adapt, develop, and gradually establish its own equilibrium. Overriding this natural process with artificial injections is neither safe nor sane, in my view.

Fundamentally, most concerns regarding vitamin K deficiency bleeding can be mitigated through optimal maternal nutrition during both the prenatal period and lactation. My suggestion would be incorporating at least four cups (daily) of freshly prepared juice containing copious amounts of vitamin K1-rich leafy greens (parsley, kale, basil, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, dandelion) along with the regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.). Fermented foods such as natto and fermented vegetables are good sources of vitamin K2 (though I advise caution with commercial soy).

In general, a healthy, organic, whole-food plant-based diet will generate a healthy gut flora (in the mother) which will optimize both the production and absorption of vitamin k, and consequently facilitate the appropriate transfer of the nutrient across the placenta and enrich the breast milk.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge that certain circumstances may indeed warrant vitamin K administration. Some of such scenarios could be maternal exposure to medications that disrupt vitamin K metabolism (warfarin, anticonvulsants, antituberculosis agents), prematurity, or hepatic dysfunction in the infant. (In such cases, if appropriate, one could consider oral vitamin K instead of intramuscular). Ultimately, however, these factors are diet-related and can thus be controlled through prudent lifestyle practices.

Be Well,
Akin