oral vitamin K

[AmyMN]

To those that opted to do oral vitamin K at home:

There are two places I've come across for ordering it: birthwithlove.com and mercola.com--but mercola's doesn't look like something I could give to a newborn. Any ideas?

Vitamin K from birthwithlove: http://www.birthwithlove.com/categories/itempage.asp?prodid=Vitamin+K+1+%28Vit+K+1+%29%2DS ciencific+Laboratories

Vitamin K from Mercola.com:
"Nursing raises the infant's vitamin K levels very gradually after birth so that no disregulation occurs that would encourage leukemia development. Additionally, the clotting system of the healthy newborn is well planned, and healthy breastfed infants do not suffer bleeding complications, even without any supplementation.

"While breastfed infants demonstrate lower blood levels of vitamin K than the "recommended" amount, they show no signs of vitamin K deficiency (leading one to wonder where the "recommended" level for infants came from). But with vitamin K injections at birth, harmful consequences of some rare disorders can be averted."

Whole article: http://www.mercola.com/2004/may/26/vitamin_k_injections.htm

[pamamidwife]

it's up to you. there haven't been good studies to show using oral vitamin k is as effective, but it's really about what makes sense to you. if you're avoiding injectible just because of the injection piece, you might want to think about why you want to use vitamin k in the first place.

I would always make sure any oral vitamin K is not suspended in peanut oil.

[AmyMN]

Thanks for your post. I wasn't questioning if I should use oral Vit K or not. I was asking those that opted to do oral vitamin K at home, where they bought theirs.

But to explain my consideration of using oral vitamin K:
My midwife says that, if I don't leave my house for 2 weeks, I really don't have to worry about issues with blood clotting. I'm not planning on leaving my house... I don't trust that my diet supplies enough Vit K. Oral vs. Shot: Injecting into a muscle vs. through the digestive system is very different. I think it was the book Gentle Birth Choices I read about 4 years ago that strongly suggested not having vit K injected into the baby's muscle due to major potential problems. I also understand that oral might not be as effective as the shot.

I haven't heard anything about peanut oil, as you mentioned. Thanks for the tip to check out.

[wendy1221]

it's up to you. there haven't been good studies to show using oral vitamin k is as effective, but it's really about what makes sense to you. if you're avoiding injectible just because of the injection piece, you might want to think about why you want to use vitamin k in the first place.

I would always make sure any oral vitamin K is not suspended in peanut oil.

Actually, I did a search on Medline today on this and I found several references showing that oral vit K is actually MORE effective if you give small doses over several weeks (2mg per week). There were also several opinion letters from docs calling for oral vit K to be made standard. But I guess they can't trust mothers to dose their babies. :rolleyes

[mwherbs]

get the stuff from the midwifery supply address birth with love there will be more than enough to meet you and your baby's needs in that bottle. there are studies that also show that vitamin K in breastmilk will increase either if mom's diet increases in vitamin K foods or with supplements.

[Monkeybutt]

we did oral vit K. We got it from our midwife. :) I have no clue where she got it.

[kerikadi]

Our personal choice was not to use vit K.
However, I am curious what leaving the house has to do with anything? :confused:
I took extra alphalfa to help with vit K during the last few weeks of my pregnancy.

Keri

[AmyMN]

When outside of the house, and especially in a car, there's a higher chance of baby falling or some sort of head injury.

I take chlorophyll made from alfalfa...

[kerikadi]

Oh, you mean after the baby is born, I thought you mean during your pregnancy :o
We did go to the peds office at 4 days old and I had to get a rhogam shot because both girls were Rh+ pos but I didn't leave the house much either.

Keri

[alegna]

We didn't do vit. K AND we left the house (not a lot, but we did... the one week midwife appt for one...) Really I think the whole vit. K thing is overblown. Why would human babies be born needing something? No other animal is.

-Angela

[pamamidwife]

We didn't do vit. K AND we left the house (not a lot, but we did... the one week midwife appt for one...) Really I think the whole vit. K thing is overblown. Why would human babies be born needing something? No other animal is.

-Angela

This is exactly how I feel about it! It's just so weird. Then again, I doubt nature intended for our babies to be pulled out with forceps or vacuums. heh.

[pamamidwife]

Actually, I did a search on Medline today on this and I found several references showing that oral vit K is actually MORE effective if you give small doses over several weeks (2mg per week). There were also several opinion letters from docs calling for oral vit K to be made standard. But I guess they can't trust mothers to dose their babies. :rolleyes


Could you link to these references? They aren't using the oil, though, are they? Aren't they either using the injectible suspension orally or the tablets (both only available by rx)?

[alegna]

This is exactly how I feel about it! It's just so weird. Then again, I doubt nature intended for our babies to be pulled out with forceps or vacuums. heh.
:truedat:

[crysmomofthree]

my midwife got the oral vit k from germany I think?

I had a lot of resistence to me questioning the vit k, I do have preemies 33-36 weeks, but the midwives really pushed the injectible. Then when my dd was born the ped was very distressed initially that we were doing oral vit k, but by the next day he told me that it was a fine choice, (I assume he looked it up?)

The worst thing was the midwife said if the baby wouldn't drink the oral then we would have to do injectible (I was thinking no way in h*ll ) but she took it like a champ. I would really avoid taking the injectible by mouth it has preservatives in it and I imagine it doesn't taste very good

[foehnjye]

Nettles are very high in Vitamin K as is Alfalfa. If you are drinking significant quantities of nettle and alfalfa tea (1qt or more a day), or taking them as supplements, your baby is also receiving a fair amount. We opted for no Vit K with our 1st and will do so with our 2nd.

[AmyMN]

Why would human babies be born needing something?

I don't doubt nature. But our diets in our culture and the food quality we have access to these days isn't what nature intended either.

But I didn't intend for this thread to be a debate about vitamin K (or our diets); rather, I'm looking for sources for vitamin K.

Thanks!

[wendy1221]

Could you link to these references? They aren't using the oil, though, are they? Aren't they either using the injectible suspension orally or the tablets (both only available by rx)?

You know, I'm not sure. i only printed off the abstracts and they just say oral doses, but don't say what was used. I do seem to remember somewhere reading that the oil is much more effective than giving crushed tablets or the injectable orally. They give oral doeses only in the Netherlands with good results. And they give tiny tiny daily doses for a few weeks. But I didn't print that article off. I can't link to the articles b/c it's a site where you have to have a user name and password. I used my dh's (he's a grad student and has access to all the good stuff. LOL!)and I know he wouldn't want me to share his info. Sorry. I can give you a list of the articles I found if you have access to medical journals. If I had more energy, I'd look up the references again and copy and paste the abstracts (thats probably not allowed though, anyway), but I'm just too tired. I can't seem to get enough sleep at all since the new baby was born. I can't nap during the day. I think maybe he has reflux though, so tonight I'm going to bring his carseat upstairs for him to sleep in to see if that helps. He fusses and wiggles and groans and pukes all night long! Ds1 is home from school now and ds2 is finally napping, so maybe I can take a nap for a change! Maybe tomorrow I'll have more energy. ha ha. Let me know if you want the references.