Parents are refusing routine preventative care for newborns at rising rates, study finds
CBS News • • health
Key Points:
- Refusals of vitamin K shots for newborns in the U.S. nearly doubled from 2.9% in 2017 to 5.2% in 2024, raising alarm among pediatricians about increased risks of potentially deadly bleeding in infants.
- Parents declining vitamin K shots often also refuse other routine newborn preventive measures like the hepatitis B vaccine and erythromycin eye ointment, influenced by misinformation, social media, and distrust in medical advice.
- Vitamin K is crucial for blood clotting in newborns, who naturally have low levels until around six months, and those not receiving the shot are 81 times more likely to suffer severe bleeding, including brain hemorrhages.
- Doctors emphasize respectful, individualized conversations with
