Two new peer-reviewed studies and a ProPublica investigation have raised alarms over a growing trend: more U.S. parents are refusing the vitamin K shot routinely given to newborns, and the consequences are proving life-threatening. Studies published November 5 in JAMA Pediatrics and JAMA found that the rate of newborns receiving the shot fell from 97.7% in 2017 to 95% in 2025, while vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) nearly quadrupled, rising 347% over the same period.
Babies who didn't receive the shot had a 47% higher risk of bleeding during their first six months and were twice as likely to suffer a brain bleed or die when hospitalized. Researchers noted the bleeding rate in 2025 was about double that of 2024.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, and all babies are born deficient. Since 1961, a single injection within six hours of birth has been standard practice in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noting that unprotected newborns are 81 times more likely to develop severe bleeding, often in the brain or intestines, where parents can't see it.
Experts attribute the decline to vaccine hesitancy, medical misinformation, pandemic-era mistrust, and a preference for "natural" birth. Some parents mistakenly believe the shot is a vaccine, while others opt for oral drops, which are considered less effective, are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, and have been linked to bleeding cases.
The ProPublica investigation detailed the death of 11-day-old Gwen Biesenbach in Texas in 2023. Her parents had declined the shot in favor of oral drops.
After hours of uncontrolled bleeding at a freestanding ER that lacked vitamin K on site and delayed transfer, Gwen died. A state medical board later found the attending physician failed to recognize the bleeding disorder and failed to transfer her promptly.
Both parents now acknowledge that they would choose the shot. The CDC still recommends the shot for all newborns, but doesn't track refusal or bleeding rates.
Lawmakers have urged the agency to begin keeping records.