Vit K and eye drops, what's your take? - Page 2

[Tattiana]

From my understanding, vitamin K doesn't pass through the placenta very well. It passes well through breast milk well, though. That is why I was considering supplementing myself after birth, to pass it along to the baby. I think that Nettles, RR, and Alfalfa are excellent to prevent hemorrhaging in mom.

[Lady Lilya]

I read somewhere that babies are low in vitamin K for a reason. Something about vitamin K at a certain stage of development interfering with cell division, and possibly contributing to Leukemia later in childhood. I remember the article said that babies have other clotting substances in their blood in higher amounts at birth, and that as the vitamin K level rises, the other substances' level drops.

I wish I could find where I read it or remember more details.

Re: Declining
Most hospitals will fight you very hard on that. Their belief is that it is required. What is required, is for them to make it available. It is not required for you to accept it. But, since they don't know that, they will fight and threaten to get CPS involved.

Originally Posted by Brilliantmama

kind of spin off, but in NYS, I understand you have to register with someone that you plan to decline. What organization is that? health dept?

I have heard this as well. One woman said in a thread that her hospital gave her a paper, after the fact, that had the contact info.

[Tattiana]

Originally Posted by Brilliantmama View Post
kind of spin off, but in NYS, I understand you have to register with someone that you plan to decline. What organization is that? health dept?

I have been searching for my state (Minnesota in case anyone has any info) and I found this site. It didn't have a specific form for vitamin K and eye drops for my state, but maybe it would help someone else. It did have forms for refusing newborn screening.

[VeganHeathen]

Originally Posted by Tattiana

I have been searching for my state (Minnesota in case anyone has any info) and I found this site. It didn't have a specific form for vitamin K and eye drops for my state, but maybe it would help someone else. It did have forms for refusing newborn screening.

Thanks for that website. Lots of valuable information.

[AngelaB]

I asked my MW for the vit k shot insert and it has aluminum in the ingredients and some warnings so we skipped it. Babies are low in vit k for a reason and that doesnt mean there is something wrong with them that we have to fix and I certainly cant tolerate the aluminum.

The eye stuff we just skipped so our babe could see us. Im pretty sure there are some additives to the eye goop but I didnt even bother to look.
Angela

[justmama]

we are opting otu of both.

[stelly]

I read somewhere that certain Drs and Midwives in places that require the eye drops are administered simply "miss" the eye area when applying them, if the parents don't want them.

I can't see any value in it and find it quite offensive that they suggest all mothers have an STI.

[lovethyspirit]

May I ask a couple questions?

Why opt out of the vitamin k?

What legal document would I need to have to opt out in the state of TX?

[Lady Lilya]

Why opt out of vitamin K? :

a) it has additives in the injection or oral dosage that may be harmful
b) it may be linked to leukemia
c) since all babies are born with low vitamin K levels, it seems likely that is what nature INTENDED

[SaraFR]

If one gets the PKU or other blood tests, should one get the vit. K to offset the bleeding?

Why are each of these things given?

[Lady Lilya]

From what I have read, there are OTHER blood clotting substances that are at higher levels in newborns, to compensate for there being low vitamin K. It appears that the vitamin K is deliberately low in order to prevent certain behavior in certain cells that may lead to leukemia. I can't find the article where I read this, and I know it was very new info and needed a lot more studies to confirm it.

But, even without studies, most people I talk to seem to feel that if nature makes us be born that way, there is probably something to it.

As for the heel prick for testing, I don't think that is the kind of bleeding they are so worried about. They are much more concerned about internal bleeding, especially in the brain.

[zjande]

Well, my last labor & delivery were superduper fast (90mins) & my son came out with a big bruise on his head from being so forcefully expelled. We weren't planning to get vit. K but decided to once he came out, just in case he had any internal bleeding around that bruise area. I'm pretty sure this next birth will be as fast or faster so we'll probably go with the vit. K again.

As always though, we'll opt out of the eye drops because I am sure that I am STD-free. If I had any question in my mind about that though, I'd go ahead & get them.

[zjande]

Okay. After I posted that I went back & read this link (http://www.vaccination.inoz.com/VitaminK.html). I read most of it to my DH. I will research vit. K more now, but now we're thinking that we WON'T request the vit. K shot. Geez that was an informative link, thanks!

[broodymama]

I had oral vitamin K on hand in case I wanted it and declined the eye drops with DD.

[indomo]

question

I read that the eye drops were mostly for the std's gonorrhea and chlamydia, but that they were also to prevent other eye infections (no specifics).

I have always had issues with my eyes and considered getting the drops to prevent my baby getting anything I may have (I just had pink eye a couple weeks ago and 2 fever blisters back to back last week and this week).
Do you think the eye drops are more helpful or even more detrimental in this situation? I hated getting frequent eye infections/things, and if I could somehow help the baby not experience that, I would.

By the way, never posted here before, but I'm 27, 21 weeks pregnant with a boy, first baby, no friends have babies (or are close to thinking about it), and sometimes (often) feel I have no idea what I'm doing. Also, I'm trying to stop dropping the f-bomb as a catch-all adjective as I am wont to do. I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes.

[Brilliantmama]

Originally Posted by indomo

\Do you think the eye drops are more helpful or even more detrimental in this situation? I hated getting frequent eye infections/things, and if I could somehow help the baby not experience that, I would.

Welcome!

It's hard to know if the meds would help. I would call an optometrist (sp) or better an opthamologist to ask this question. My gut says no, that they would make no difference down the road, but then I am NO eye expert.

Check out the due date clubs to get the hang of MDC!