Vitamin K

Hi all, I just wanted to hear your views on Vitamin K. Our midwife talked to us about it a while ago and it was mentioned again at our antenatal course last night. Did you give Vitamin K to your lovelys? I am a bit confused as it seems a good thing on the one hand but then there are maybe links to cancer on the other!! Am I just being a hysterical 1st time mum? I would love to know what you think. (My hubby actually suggested asking all of you!)

hiya

I have given all my babies the VitK injection and have never had any issues with it. I do believe it so much easier to give it to them IM rather than the oral dose. Correct me someone if I am wrong but as far as the link to cancer is concerned there hasn't been that much research done on it and as far as I was aware there is a slim chance of it happening.

Hope that helps and doesn't confuse you anymore.

Hugs

Tabs

 

we chose not to give the vit k for the following reasons:

there is no real proof that they are low in vit K, by adult standards yes but they dont really know how much is needed for babies.

there is only a 1 in 10000 chance that they will get HDN - haemoralgaec (spelling sux sorry)) disease of newborns - which is what the vit K helps prevents and we thought the odds quite low. (we were also aware of what the symptoms were so kept a good look out).

the thought of giving my baby an intra muscular injection as soon as he was born terrified me and i didnt want his birth experience to be all about pain.

i was breastfeeding so made sure i was getting high vit K foods into me and therefore passing onto my baby, and did the same before he was born too.

i believe also that there is some dissension in the medical profession re the benefits of vit K and i know one dr who practically laughed when we sd we hadnt done it saying (the dr) it wasnt very beneficial anyway.

as in everything related to your baby tho it is your choice - but i know that because we didnt give the vit K a lot of midwifes were very anti and we got asked at least twice by every person involved in the birth process.

so good luck with your choice.

we gave jake the vitamin K. when the midwife askied initally I said can i decide later....well, later was just after he was born. As they sewed me up, I said "whatever" i believe

Ella had it by injection shortly after she was born.
I did a lot of reading on the pros and cons. Seeing as I had quite a quick labour and birth, I decided on the injection when my midwife asked after she was born. Otherwise I probably would have gone with the oral option. I like to know I have all bases covered and have done my best to prevent anything happening, so Ella is fully immunised. Not sure about the menzb one yet.

Damn cancer and things linking to it. Everything causes cancer these days

Sorry... nothing to do with vit K, just had to have a bit of a rant.

That seems like a good reason, I mean if the birth is all fine then maybe it isn't necessary but if it is a little traumatic and baby has bruising etc. then it is probably a good idea! Aaaargh, I can see being a mum is going to be quite tough LOL

I know the odds for getting HDN are low, but as I have a genetic blood disorder that my children have a 50/50 chance of getting, we decided to give them that little bit extra.

Hi there.
When my midwife asked me if I wanted our baby to have the vitamin K after the birth I said no BUT if there was any complications then it would change to yes. It was all written down in my birth plan and then when the time came I had to have an emergency C/section so afterwards my midwife asked me again if it was ok to give the vitamin k injection and I said yes.
If it had been a natural birth with no complications then I personally don't see the point.
I think it is a personal decision and you just have to make up your own mind.
Although I know it helps to ask!

bump!