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Vitamin K  

post #1 of 24
6/6/08 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
I'm leaning towards the drops but OB stated that they are not as well absorbed which is why they switched to vax. Is the Vitamin K injection just a pure form of vitamin or is there anything in there that may be of harm to the baby? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated. We stopped vaxing DS at 12 months and are planning not to vax this baby but l'm really struggling with the fear tactics. OB said that as rare as the blood disorder is, when it does occur the consequence is death.
post #2 of 24
6/6/08 at 11:21am
Well, you could take things as they come, really. For DS#2, DH and I were going to refuse the eye drops and the vit K. BUT Nate's birth was kind of traumatic (lots of facial swelling and bruising from being stuck in a face presentation with a subsequent c-section birth) so we opted for it. He wasn't circ'd, however, but if you plan on circ'ing your infant I would probably lean towards having the vit k. I would also insist on oral drops, absolutely.
DS#3 was a quick, simple easy homebirth and not circ'd, so the vit k was never even an issue (nor were the eye drops).
post #3 of 24
6/6/08 at 12:47pm
We brought the drops just in case ds had bruising, we would give them.
He came out super fast, but his face was really banged up, so we gave the drops (of course, he wasn't circ'd). The vit k shots take the blood level up to ridiculous numbers. I think it was 10,000 times the normal amt.? The drops take it up too, but not so high. I assume that babies are born with low vitamin k for a reason. Their cells are dividing so fast that first few days, it just seems like a time to leave them alone! Just my 2 cents....
post #4 of 24
6/6/08 at 12:49pm
I agree, I would take it as it comes. I planned not to give the Vit K shot to my twins when they were born but they came early (2 months) by emergency c-section and the risk of a brain bleed is very high in preemies so the Vit K shot was highly recommended. I did my research on this shot before so I knew that preemies are high risk and this is one thing that could help. I am not thrilled that they had it, but at the time, I felt it was the best decision for them.
post #5 of 24
6/6/08 at 1:03pm
Hello,
in most parts of Europe Vit K is prescribed to breastfeeding mums only and given either at birth in a high dose, or daily just a few drops (all oral drops to avoid side effects from the former injection). I have heard of Vit K injections the first time in the US.
Guess you could research whether you like the Vit K at all, and if so, I would go for the oral drops.
post #6 of 24
6/6/08 at 5:05pm
Good for you for researching vaccines and vit k! Take a look at this:
http://www.cure-guide.com/Child_Heal...vitamin_k.html

Quote:
Injected vitamin K ran into a problem when researchers in 1990 noted an increased incidence of childhood cancer in children given vitamin K injections at birth. Specifically, they found that injected vitamin K doubled the incidence of leukemia in children less than ten years of age. A subsequent study in 1992 revealed the same association between injected vitamin K and cancer, but no such association with oral vitamin K. These researchers recommended exclusive use of oral vitamin K.

Also I just wanted to mention that if you haven't had a chance to look into circumcision, here is a good post with a lot of good studies, videos, etc.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=822675
post #7 of 24
6/6/08 at 6:20pm
A newborn does not have Vita K for a reason. We really don't know the long term reamifications by injecting a vitamin that is not needed or wanted. Childhood leukemia which is on the increase, is linked to that shot.



http://www.mothering.com/discussions...6#post10307996
post #8 of 24
6/6/08 at 7:46pm
The immediate side effect of Vitamin K is neonatal jaundice. This is caused by the baby's immature liver being unable to process the vitamin K and the bilirubin manifests in the baby's tissues. This is treated by putting the baby under the bilirubin lights. This causes dehydration. This results in longterm deficiency of thiamine and riboflavin. No one knows the long term effects of this. No one has bothered to conduct a study because no one cares. This is another cascade of interventions for your newborn, which began when you entered the hospital.

Rule of Thumb for Vitamin K: Unless the hospital staff has roughed up your precious newborn with their routine and unnecessary procedures as PKU, heel prick draws, forceps delivery, vacuum delivery, circumcision, scalp samples, internal monitoring, or IVs, then your precious baby does not need vitamin K.
post #9 of 24
6/6/08 at 9:12pm
we used arnica topically instead for bruising...

Danielle*
post #10 of 24
6/6/08 at 11:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danielle13 View Post
we used arnica topically instead for bruising...

Danielle*
The vit K is to prevent any sort of internal bleeding that could very rarely occur during a birth. The bruising is a sign that it's possible (although again, very rare) that they could be bleeding and without the vit K would be unable to stop it. So anything applied topically would only help with any sort of pain the infant may have but not the root of the problem, kwim?

That being said we didn't do vit K. Dd had no bruising whatsoever. Ds had the shot but I didn't research it at all, he was just a typical mainstream hospital birth...however even if I'd had him at home I would have given him vit K in some form because he had extensive bruising and swelling all over his face and head.

Oh and try posting this in the Birth and Beyond forum. There are midwives over there with some good links to info!
post #11 of 24
6/7/08 at 11:10am
my midwife told me she thinks the rates of blindness going down is due to the vitamin k given at birth!
post #12 of 24
6/7/08 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsbrunette View Post
my midwife told me she thinks the rates of blindness going down is due to the vitamin k given at birth!
WHAT?

How did she come up with that?
post #13 of 24
6/7/08 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gitti View Post
WHAT?

How did she come up with that?
Well, let me run a sarcastic theory here:

Babies who get the shot are more likely to be subjected to other hospital procedures as, for example, circ. Since circ is a "cure for masturbation" (and masturbation "causes blindness)", circ'd boys "don't touch" themselves down there all that much, therefore, "have lower chances" of blindness...

That must be it, because I don't see how else it can be connected...LOL
post #14 of 24
6/7/08 at 11:23am
i dont know.. she's married to a pediatrician so maybe he told her that?! this was before i did my research, so i just went along with it. :
post #15 of 24
6/7/08 at 12:51pm
My son did not receive any vitamin K at birth (injectable or oral). I believe that babies are born with low levels of vitamin K for a reason and that the levels are supposed to build up slowly over time through BFing. I was also very concerned about any possible childhood cancer association. I find it ridiculous that babies would be born needing an injection of anything.
post #16 of 24
6/10/08 at 1:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danielle13 View Post
we used arnica topically instead for bruising...

Danielle*
Great idea! Also, if you let the placenta transfer all of the blood the bruising and clotting will be dramatically few and far between!
post #17 of 24
6/10/08 at 2:05pm
I wouldn't do vitamin K again unless there was serious birth trauma. I can't believe I let myself get talked into it once. I will be kicking myself for years.
post #18 of 24
6/10/08 at 6:18pm
I just took alfalfa supplements to boost my own Vit K to a healthy level, and baby didn't have even the tiniest hint of jaundice.
post #19 of 24
6/10/08 at 6:59pm
Our son did NOT get the Vitamin K shot or the eye-drop goop. They tried to bully us but we said, "Not interested!"

Stick to your guns and remember that your baby is just how mother nature intended for him to be!! So sign their waiver and don't get bullied. Unless, of course, you have some type of traumatic birth like a vacuum/forcep delivery where the risk of bleeding in the brain might be higher. I had a full-term emergency c/s and skipped it...the way I looked at it, he was fine and had never "squeezed" through the birth canal so his risks were TINY.

He is just fine, for the record, without that shot.
post #20 of 24
6/11/08 at 8:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by beanbean View Post
I just took alfalfa supplements to boost my own Vit K to a healthy level, and baby didn't have even the tiniest hint of jaundice.
I tried that and ended up with Hives all over my body. I have been allergic to fresh cut grass all my life but never new I was allergic to it orally! I took Yellowdock in its place and ate lots of greens.
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