Vitamin K shot exemption

[Lisa1970]

Can anyone please tell me, or give me a link to a form regarding keeping my baby from the vit K shot at birth? I had to go to labor and delivery to be checked out today due to cramps and spotting and was told by a nurse (I hope she is not speaking for the whole hospital) that the law says they have to give the vit K shot, regardless of whether the parent consents or not. She claimed it is law. I already read up on that law and it only says it has to be available and offered, not that doctors have the legal right to give the shot without consent and against parental objection. But now, I cannot find any of that information.

[Raene]

Originally Posted by Lisa1970

Can anyone please tell me, or give me a link to a form regarding keeping my baby from the vit K shot at birth? I had to go to labor and delivery to be checked out today due to cramps and spotting and was told by a nurse (I hope she is not speaking for the whole hospital) that the law says they have to give the vit K shot, regardless of whether the parent consents or not. She claimed it is law. I already read up on that law and it only says it has to be available and offered, not that doctors have the legal right to give the shot without consent and against parental objection. But now, I cannot find any of that information.

What state are you in? In New York you cannot refuse the Vitamin K or eye drops, no matter what...no religious or other exemptions. If you try and refuse, the hospital will call CPS on you then and there.

It sucks. Rights? What rights?

[JBaxter]

In Maryland I just said ... Dont give my baby the Vit K shot , Hep B eye ointment or circ.. The nurse said OK that was it

[knowerofnada]

I'm in Baton Rouge, LA, and although I was met with very strong resistance, harassment, & bullying, I successfully declined the Vit K injection at Woman's Hospital.

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by Raene

What state are you in? In New York you cannot refuse the Vitamin K or eye drops, no matter what...no religious or other exemptions. If you try and refuse, the hospital will call CPS on you then and there.

It sucks. Rights? What rights?

So what will CPS do?

And what if you have a homebirth?

[Raene]

Originally Posted by emma1325

So what will CPS do?

And what if you have a homebirth?

They've been known to take your baby from you, inject the vitamin K while Baby is in their care, and then give it back later. But they will take him/her for many days. Not worth it to me.

With a homebirth, midwives are willing to look the other way. I'm planning to Homebirth but with complications I've had to look at other options just in case.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Raene

What state are you in? In New York you cannot refuse the Vitamin K or eye drops, no matter what...no religious or other exemptions. If you try and refuse, the hospital will call CPS on you then and there.

It sucks. Rights? What rights?

Yup....id give birth elsewhere if I lived near enough to another state!

http://ffitz.com/nyvic/law/vitamin-k.htm

[Lisa1970]

I am in Texas.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Lisa1970

I am in Texas.

You can refuse these in TX...you should put in in your birthplan and make sure all involved know up front that you are declining these 2 things. Room in just to be safe and if baby is taken away fro hearing tests or whatever, have DH go with them.

[kiara7]

Originally Posted by Lisa1970

I am in Texas.

I'm in TX and declined just about everything - no problems.

[emma1325]

Wow. It seems like parents in NY should be able to sue the state.


Here in Mississippi, parents cannot exempt their children from vaccines, but it only applies through the school/daycare system.

That's crazy that CPS can take a baby away in NY and inject against parents' wishes.

*off to review MS's state laws for vit K and eyedrops*

[Yulia_R]

I had both of my kids in AZ. My son got the vit K (I didn't know any better at the time ). When I had my daughter I just said "no" to everything and they asked me to sign a refusal form (which I did). Be prepared for a huge pressure/scare tactic (with facts pulled out of his/her a$$) by the hospital peds though.

[JavaFinch]

I chose to do a 1/2 dose shot and got no bullying from the doc and absolutely zero pressure on the Hep B. I am in WI. All I can say is I'm anout the law in NY!! That is ridiculous!!!!!

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by Lisa1970

Can anyone please tell me, or give me a link to a form regarding keeping my baby from the vit K shot at birth? I had to go to labor and delivery to be checked out today due to cramps and spotting and was told by a nurse (I hope she is not speaking for the whole hospital) that the law says they have to give the vit K shot, regardless of whether the parent consents or not. She claimed it is law. I already read up on that law and it only says it has to be available and offered, not that doctors have the legal right to give the shot without consent and against parental objection. But now, I cannot find any of that information.

Be very careful about the pre-admittance paperwork you sign, really anything you sign at all. I believe most hospitals have clauses about normal, ordinary producedures (which may not be clearly defined) and that things like eye ointment and the vitamin k are included in that. So they would argue that a parent _has_ consented in that case.

I'd second the keeping your baby with your or your partner at _all_ times, and let them bring anything they want (stuff to bathe baby, weigh/measure/whatever) _to_ you, instead of baby to the stuff.

[ammiga]

Originally Posted by Marnica

Yup....id give birth elsewhere if I lived near enough to another state!

http://ffitz.com/nyvic/law/vitamin-k.htm

:

There is no way I would give birth in NY.

[zookeeper]

I'm in OK. They called CPS on us with the last birth. It was the most awful experience I've ever gone through emotionally!! We consented to giving it orally, which they gave incorrectly anyway. I guess we were the only ones who'd done research on how to give it orally.

I really think the hospital ped had a GOD complex! We were also signing out AMA that evening. She was just mad that we weren't doing things her way!! It helps to have a ped who is agreeable to not giving it.

[honeybunch2k8]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

Be very careful about the pre-admittance paperwork you sign, really anything you sign at all. I believe most hospitals have clauses about normal, ordinary producedures (which may not be clearly defined) and that things like eye ointment and the vitamin k are included in that. So they would argue that a parent _has_ consented in that case.

I'd second the keeping your baby with your or your partner at _all_ times, and let them bring anything they want (stuff to bathe baby, weigh/measure/whatever) _to_ you, instead of baby to the stuff.

That x 1000. Some docs will use the waiver you sign as a reason to do what they see fit.

[Crazybean]

Can't they substitute the vit K shot for the vit k drops instead for those states that give you no rights?

[knowerofnada]

Originally Posted by zookeeper

I'm in OK. They called CPS on us with the last birth. It was the most awful experience I've ever gone through emotionally!! We consented to giving it orally, which they gave incorrectly anyway. I guess we were the only ones who'd done research on how to give it orally.

The same thing happened to us. I was sick of fighting with them, so I consented to oral Vit. K, and like you, it was administered incorrectly. Geez.

[ericswifey27]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

Be very careful about the pre-admittance paperwork you sign, really anything you sign at all. I believe most hospitals have clauses about normal, ordinary producedures (which may not be clearly defined) and that things like eye ointment and the vitamin k are included in that. So they would argue that a parent _has_ consented in that case.

I'd second the keeping your baby with your or your partner at _all_ times, and let them bring anything they want (stuff to bathe baby, weigh/measure/whatever) _to_ you, instead of baby to the stuff.

It was in my birth plan and we told staff, but my baby was given Vitamin K and Hep B anyway. Either they didn't care, or they were too lazy to check, or they did it out of routine without thinking. I don't care what the reason is, it is INEXUSABLE.

The advice below is not to be taken lightly, seriously. Write in BIG HUGE LETTERS all over the admission forms that you do not consent to vitamin k and whatever else you don't want done. Or write that you will only consent in writing to any procedure they want to do.

Originally Posted by zookeeper

I'm in OK. They called CPS on us with the last birth. It was the most awful experience I've ever gone through emotionally!! We consented to giving it orally, which they gave incorrectly anyway. I guess we were the only ones who'd done research on how to give it orally.

I really think the hospital ped had a GOD complex! We were also signing out AMA that evening. She was just mad that we weren't doing things her way!! It helps to have a ped who is agreeable to not giving it.

Yes! If you have a peditrician that's on board before the baby arrives, you can arrange to have him/her contacted if they give you grief. You can simply say you've already made the arrangements with your ped, thank you, and if that still is not sufficient, have the ped call in orders for baby's care.