Mix up after hospital transfer... not sure if DS got Vit K shot.

[Shell_Ell]

This might sound silly, but I just had to ask.

We had a hospital transfer when my son was born, and things were very jumbled up because of it. I had a birth plan in which I specified alot of different things, but I never mentioned Vitamin K. I had planned to do it at the freestanding birth center that I was birthing at, but with the transfer I think we never ended up giving it to him. Honestly, I never did much research on it except that I had thought initially about doing it the oral way. My midwives recommended the shot and I just kinda went with the flow. I'm not even sure how long after birth it's usually administered. We left the hospital at 12 hours post partum. Because of the confusion my son never recieved a hearing screen, either, which is mandated by the state. I did have the PKU/newborn screenings done about a week later.

Is this something I should be concerned about? Obviously we've missed the window of opportunity (he's 8.5 months old now) but I'm wondering if it's something that could cause problems if he didn't receive it. Is there a way I could find out if he got it?

[maxmama]

Yes, it will be charted, and no, it doesn't matter now. vitamin K (which promotes clotting) is intended to carry over a newborn until its gut is colonized by bacteria that make its own vit K, which happens very quickly.

[laohaire]

Yeah, I don't know much about it myself, but my DD didn't get a VitK shot (born at home). She was admitted to the hospital at 3 days, and the doc said there was no need to get it at that point (and he was a VERY conventional, by the book doc, so it wasn't a case of him being "alternative").

[bradleybirth2mom]

There is no need for the shot.

Use vitamin supplements, eat normally and breastfeed. No need to worry about the shot. I'm not even going to have it done for my son---they do it in case parents want their kid circumcised or he is hemorrhaging immediately after birth.

[cfiddlinmama]

You can use to oral for extra protection if you want but colostrum is very high in vit k. All the studies done on the shot were conducted on babies who didn't receive colostrum. There have never been studies on the efficacy of the shot in bf infants. I refuse because I don't think it's necessary at all!

[QueenOfThePride]

The hearing screen isn't really 'required'. The state just requires hospitals to do it unless the parents object. That's how it is with all 'required' newborn screening kinds of things.

[Shell_Ell]

My son is 8.5 months old now, so it's not a concern anymore. Thanks for the replies!