- US hospitals are observing a concerning rise in parents declining vital vitamin K injections for their newborn babies.
- A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that refusals of vitamin K shots almost doubled from 2.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent nationwide between 2017 and 2024.
- This growing scepticism is attributed to anti-science sentiment, mistrust in medical advice, and widespread misinformation, often disseminated through social media, and extends to other routine infant preventive care.
- Babies not receiving the vitamin K shot are 81 times more likely to develop severe bleeding, including brain haemorrhages, with doctors reporting deaths and serious developmental issues as a result.
- Medical professionals are actively engaging with parents to address their concerns and misconceptions, emphasising the critical importance of these interventions for infant health.
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