U.S. infant bleeding episodes and vitamin K deficiency diagnoses climbed sharply between 2017 and 2025 as a growing number of parents declined the recommended birth injections for their newborns.
National Studies Reveal Sharp Rise in Infant Bleeding
Two major studies published in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics analyzed health records for millions of infants across the United States. Researchers found that the percentage of newborns receiving injectable vitamin K dropped from 97.7% to 95.0% between 2017 and 2025 in one study group, while a second study tracked refusal rates doubling from 3.1% to 6.8% over the same period.
During that timeframe, diagnoses of vitamin K deficiency and vitamin K deficiency bleeding jumped by 216% and 347%, respectively. Infants who did not receive the injection faced a 47% higher risk of bleeding within their first six months and more than twice the risk of bleeding in or around the brain.
Speaking to reporters, Steven Woolf—a co-author of the JAMA Pediatrics study and a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University—noted that medical issues of this magnitude haven’t been witnessed for generations.
“Similar to the recent measles outbreaks, we are seeing the real-world implications of growing mistrust of doctors and public health professionals,” said Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Richmond who led the Virginia Commonwealth University study.
According to Woolf, who serves as a co-author on the JAMA Pediatrics study, the 2025 surge aligns with a post-pandemic decline in public health confidence, heightened vaccine hesitancy, and increased doubts among parents regarding newborn medical procedures.
“We knew from prior studies that vitamin K refusal had been increasing in the U.S., and we wanted to learn if there were any real-life consequences of this trend,” Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Richmond who led the Virginia Commonwealth University study, told reporters.
“Now we’re stepping away from that and we’re seeing the consequences,” Woolf said.
Exclusive data from Truveta examining more than one million births nationwide showed that refusals accelerated sharply in the first half of 2026, jumping by more than 57% between January and June.
Emergency Room Delays Highlight Fatal Risks in Texas
The consequences of refusing the injection emerged starkly in cases like that of 11-day-old Gwen Biesenbach in New Braunfels, Texas. Her parents opted for oral vitamin K drops instead of the standard shot after growing wary of medical interventions.
When the infant developed persistent bleeding from her umbilical cord stump in August 2023, her family brought her to a local freestanding emergency room, Lonestar 24HR ER, located a mile from their home. The facility did not stock vitamin K injections on site.
Dr. Nicole Malouf tried multiple methods to halt the bleeding before arranging a transfer to North Central Baptist Hospital, a larger facility in nearby San Antonio. In the ambulance, the baby’s blood pressure dropped and she became increasingly lethargic, passing away the following morning from vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
Malouf was ordered to complete 24 hours of continuing medical education.
“I feel like the only way to change the outcome is to go back to the beginning, that fork in the road,” Malouf said.
Vitamin K Deficiency Occurs Due to Low Natural Levels
Pediatricians emphasize that newborns naturally have very low levels of the nutrient because placenta transfer is inefficient, gastrointestinal absorption is poor, and breast milk contains minimal amounts. A single intramuscular dose administered at birth has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1961 and provides a months-long reserve to protect against catastrophic bleeding.
“a victim of its own success,” researchers say that vitamin K has been, according to Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Richmond who led the Virginia Commonwealth University study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to call for giving the shot to all newborns. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reiterated its longstanding position that oral vitamin K drops are less effective than an intramuscular injection and remain unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Readers with questions or concerns about newborn care and vitamin K prophylaxis should consult a qualified pediatrician or healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.
