Uncategorized > Anti-vaccine trend has parents shunning newborns’ vitamin shot
Anti-vaccine trend has parents shunning newborns’ vitamin shot
Published on: July 7, 2015
With the recent U.S. measles outbreak, the issue of vaccine refusal has received growing scrutiny. Now doctors are calling attention to a similar problem: Some parents are shunning the vitamin K shot routinely given to newborns to prevent internal bleeding.
The consequences of that choice can be severe, pediatric specialists say. Infants can quickly become deficient in vitamin K, which can lead to dangerous bleeding in the intestines or the brain.
“If you refuse the shot, you’re rolling the dice with your child’s health,” said Dr. Robert Sidonio Jr., a hematologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta.
