vitamin K

This outlines the basic reason for why babies are given Vit K at birth

This one answers a few more questions

Both are NZ pages, so are a little more relevant to us than anything else dr google might come up with

HTH

Lilla had the oral despite being emergency c section.
Next time, if I have a straight forward birth I wouldnt get it at all...
Interesting pages BK, is it just me or do they seem to be opposites kinda?

I think there are a few good threads about it on here too

There was some research that linked vit k to leukemia, then more research that found no link then more research that found a link to cancer but not specifically leukemia (from what I remember). Vit k is the only vitamin that doesn't pass the placenta to baby and has something to do with inhibiting brain development as well as being needed to clot, so there is some school of thought that babies shouldn't be getting it as nature has made it that way for a reason. Vit K can also make babies jaundice, or make jaundice worse as the liver is not mature enough to deal with it properly.

However without it some babies would die of brain bleeds, hence the reason the shot was introduced in the first place.

The oral was introduced after the first research that found the leukamia link but from what I've read it's no better than the jab and is just an all round pain in the butt to administer.

I have read that the uk are considering only giving the shot to high risk babies rather than all babies, I'm not sure if that has happened or not.

We decided that if our babies were high risk they would have the jab and if they weren't they wouldn't. First baby was an elective c/s and the paed said he didn't need the jab (we had said that if the paed thought it necessary we would give it), second baby was vontouse delivery and was given the shot, the mw just quickly double checked that we wanted to give it before doing it.

If you do decide not to give it then babies get vit k through breastmilk and it's very readily absorbed (it's also in formula, in higher doses as not so easily absorbed that way), if you are breastfeeding and have been or go on antibiotics it's important to take something like alfafalfa (sp?) as vit K is made in your gut and antibiotics effect it.

Hope that helps a bit.

I ummed and ahhed alot on this and we ended up doing the oral dose (and it was 3 doses)... and it was easy as anything to pop in. I'm not sure we'll get it this time around but if we do then we'll do the oral again, just to be on the safe-ish side. I also read some stuff about the injection being linked to child leukemia but hey who knows?? It was the first tough decision we had to make and most certainly not the last lol

bk me and partner were discussing it last night, i think if i was in your situation i would do the same as you. We have decided that we will do it if the delivery is not straightforward, but otherwise we feel there is not that much point.

I dont really like the thought of the oral dose having propylene glycol in it, so still havnt decided if we would inject or go oral but more then likely would go the injection way if it becomes a neccesity

all these things to think about lol!

vitamin K is more easily passed from formula than breast milk apparently - but you could up your intakes of Vit k rich foods to help that anyway.

It used to be called HDN hemorrhagic Disease of Newborns, now it is called Vitamin k Deficiency Bleeding.

The incidence of late VKDB in the developed world is about 4-25 per 100,000 births. In the UK the incidence is reported as 8.6 per 100,000 of which 44% were classic VKDB and 56% late VKDB. This survey sought all cases of VKDB in the British Isles, including the Republic of Ireland, from December 1987 to March 1990. Only 27 cases were found, of which 25 were confirmed and 2 probable.

that last para i got from this site
here

I am having an elective, and hadn't given much thought to the Vit K really - my DD had it as we had a very traumatic delivery, she nearly died etc etc so I guess it was pretty important. My midwife told me last week though that I should give it some thought as to whether I want bubs to have it, and gave me a pamphlet, and now reading this thread I am thinking perhaps I will go with no....we have chosen not to immunise our children. Vit K is the only injection DD has ever had. Anyone had electives, do you know if they tend to recommend Vit K with them??

My bubs had the oral dose and it wasn't a pain to administer as my midwife did all three of them. I will definitely do the oral one again next time - don't really like the thought of jabbing my newborn unnessarily.

I think thats a good idea CJ.    It all boils down to personal choice.  I too am adopted and that was one of my reasons for getting it as who knows what family history there is. 

Like someone said its the first of many important decisions we will have to make as parents.

Not long to go now!!