Vitamin K Shot

What is it?

The vitamin K shot is not a vaccine because it does not protect against an infectious disease. Instead, it is more like taking a vitamin supplement. Vitamin K is naturally present in a wide variety of foods, especially leafy green vegetables, and it is important for clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. The vitamin K injection is recommended because babies naturally have very low levels of vitamin K, which puts them at risk of life-threatening bleeding called vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).

According to the CDC, infants who receive the vitamin K shot are 81 times less likely to develop severe bleeding. 4 million babies are born in the United States each year. If we stopped giving the vitamin K shot at birth, more than 200 infants would develop VKDB every day.

In addition, we have been using the vitamin K shot for more than 60 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended the vitamin K shot for newborns since 1961.

For some common questions about this shot and VKDB, click here.

Vaccine Information:

Ingredients:

Active ingredients:

Phytonadione, which is another name for vitamin K1 (one of the two forms of vitamin K)

Inactive ingredients:

Carbohydrates (sugars): normally used as stabilizers in vaccines

Preservatives: prevent contamination

Other:

Why is it an injection?

You may be wondering why vitamin K is given as an injection instead of orally (by mouth). There have been several studies done on oral vitamin K, but none of the doses or regimens tested were as effective as the vitamin K injection.

Relevant Terms

Carbohydrates: another name for sugars
Emulsifier: a substance that helps to keep the ingredients mixed together

Sources:

Last updated: Aug 5, 2024