Life-threatening bleeding episodes among U.S. infants have surged sharply since 2017, with cases nearly doubling in 2025 as a growing number of parents refuse standard vitamin K injections at birth. NBC News reported that two new studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics link this rise to escalating parental mistrust toward routine medical interventions.
Injections Protect Newborns Against Fatal Bleeding Risks
- What Vitamin K Does: Newborns lack sufficient levels of this essential nutrient, which acts via cellular mechanisms to activate hepatic clotting factors necessary for normal blood coagulation.
- The Risk Factor: Infants who skip the injection face a 47% higher risk of bleeding within their first six months, along with more than double the risk of intracranial hemorrhage and birth-hospitalization mortality.
- Public Health Impact: Medical experts note that the routine administration established in 1961 is being compromised by broader vaccine hesitancy and eroding institutional trust.
Rising Refusal Rates Across National Birth Cohorts
Data analyzed across multiple medical centers reveal a clear upward trajectory in vitamin K refusals among new parents. According to research led by Dr. Kristan Scott at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and published in JAMA, more than 5% of U.S. infants did not receive the vitamin K shot in 2024, representing a 77% increase since 2017. Subsequent data covering 2025 showed that refusal rates climbed further to 6.8%.
A separate population-based study led by Dr. Elizabeth Wolf at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond and Dr. Steven Woolf, an epidemiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, examined medical records from 11 million infants six months and younger between 2017 and 2025. During this eight-year window, the percentage of newborns receiving the intramuscular injection dropped from 97.7% to 95%. Concurrently, the rate of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) nearly quadrupled, culminating in 1,764 diagnosed cases in 2025 alone. An exclusive analysis by Truveta of more than 1 million births nationwide indicated that refusals accelerated further in the first half of 2026, jumping over 57% between January and June.
| Study Metric | 2017 Baseline | Recent Data (2025–2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin K Refusal Rate (Scott Study) | 3.1% | 6.8% (2025) |
| Overall Infant Shot Receipt (VCU Study) | 97.7% | 95.0% (2025) |
| Annual VKDB Cases (VCU Study) | 189 cases | 1,764 cases (2025) |
| Truveta Refusal Acceleration | — | +57% (Jan–Jun 2026) |
Skepticism Toward Clinical Guidance Drives Vitamin Refusals
Investigators point out that the steep rise in vitamin K refusals coincides with an era of heightened public skepticism toward immunization schedules and clinical guidance. The trend has been compounded by shifts in federal health leadership, including policies from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains its recommendation for newborn vitamin K administration, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson declined to state whether the agency plans to track refusal rates or bleeding events.
Because vitamin K is administered via injection shortly after delivery, some hesitant parents mistake it for a vaccine, despite its classification as an essential nutrient rather than an immunization. Dr. David Hill, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, emphasized that the shot is critical for synthesizing hepatic clotting factors. Without it, infants can suffer spontaneous hemorrhages in the gastrointestinal tract or brain, potentially leading to cerebral palsy, long-term movement disorders, or death. Epidemiologists calculate that for every 114 newborns who forgo the injection, one additional bleeding event occurs.
Parents Consult Pediatricians Regarding Alternative Delivery Methods
The standard intramuscular vitamin K injection has no absolute medical contraindications for healthy newborns and is universally recommended by pediatric societies. However, parents following feeding protocols or considering alternative delivery methods should consult qualified pediatricians immediately. Clinicians note that oral vitamin K regimens require multiple doses and carry a higher failure rate than the single intramuscular shot. Caregivers must seek emergency medical evaluation right away if an infant displays unexplained bruising, bleeding from the umbilical stump or circumcision site, prolonged oozing, excessive lethargy, vomiting, or sudden neurological changes such as seizures.
Lawmakers Press Public Health Agencies for Enhanced Surveillance
In response to the mounting clinical data, federal lawmakers have begun pressing public health agencies for enhanced surveillance. In June, Representative Kim Schrier of Washington and Senator Alsobrooks of Maryland formally called on the CDC to institute active tracking for infant bleeding episodes linked to vitamin K deficiencies. Researchers suggest that adopting harm-reduction strategies, such as offering structured oral dosing protocols for vaccine-hesitant families, may become necessary if injection refusals persist.
For now, pediatric hospitalists and epidemiologists continue to advocate for transparent, evidence-based conversations between clinicians and expectant parents to address underlying safety concerns before birth.
Earlier coverage: Infant Bleeding Surges as Parents Refuse Vitamin K Injections
