Lawmakers Push CDC to Track Vitamin K Refusals at Birth
Two Democratic lawmakers urged the CDC to monitor how often parents refuse the newborn vitamin K shot and the resulting vitamin K deficiency bleeding and deaths, citing ProPublica’s finding that federal and state data on refusals and outcomes do not exist. They argue data are needed to gauge the scope and guide public health messaging, noting that babies who miss the shot are 81 times more likely to develop late deficiency bleeding and that 1 in 5 such cases can be fatal. Refusal rates rose to over 5% in 2024, with some hospitals reporting doubling refusals, prompting calls for action from HHS and the American Academy of Pediatrics.