Newborns are bleeding to death in US. Politician blames Kennedy Jr for creating 'doubt' about crucial vitamin
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Newborns are bleeding to death in US. Politician blames Kennedy Jr for creating 'doubt' about crucial vitamin")
Newborn babies need Vitamin K shots. Photograph: (Unsplash)
A report has highlighted the dangers of not giving Vitamin K shots to newborn babies, claiming that babies are bleeding to death. It states that there has been a rise in the number of parents refusing to give the injection to their babies, complicating the problem.
A report has highlighted that the reluctance to give Vitamin K shots has led to an alarming rise in newborns bleeding to death. According to ProPublica, weeks-old babies are experiencing seizures and breathing problems before succumbing, something that could have been prevented by following a recommendation. The deaths are being caused by vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a rare but potentially fatal condition. Doctors say that babies lack Vitamin K at birth, limiting the amount of clotting factors. It is not passed on from the mother to the foetus, as the placenta and breast milk contain little of this vitamin. They do not start getting it until they start solid foods at 6 months. According to the report, the problem can be averted if parents agree to give the vitamin shots to babies after birth.
Vitamin K and bleeding risk
However, the report claims that they are refusing to take it, likely because of misinformation, such as concerns that the Vitamin K shot could cause cancer. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it has been recommended to all newborns since 1961. But findings show that a huge number of babies were not administered the shot. National Institutes of Health researchers found that between 2017 and 2024, almost 200,000 newborns did not receive a vitamin K injection at birth. This was a 77 per cent hike in these numbers. According to the medical bodies in the US, babies who are not given the vitamin injection are 81 times more likely to develop VKDB in their first six months. The CDC says that 1 in every 5 babies with vitamin K deficiency bleeding will die. In some cases, the disease presents no symptoms, while in others it can show up as haemorrhaging of the brain and gut, bruising, seizures, vomiting blood, blood in stool, brain damage and even death.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and health misinformation in US
In the US, the hepatitis B vaccine and an antibiotic ointment in the eye are the other two recommended interventions for newborns before they leave the hospital. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends the hepatitis B vaccine. The report further states that Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash. asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reassure parents about the vitamin K shot two weeks ago. However, Kennedy hit back by saying, "I’ve never said, literally never said, anything about it," which Schrier said was "exactly the point". He added, "You don’t say anything about it, but the doubt you’ve created about all of medicine and science is causing parents to make dangerous decisions."
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