05/14/2026
Pediatricians have recommended the vitamin K shot at birth for decades to provide babies with the defense needed to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).
Newborns need vitamin K at birth because they aren’t born with enough of the vitamin and they receive very little from their mother during pregnancy. Unlike many other nutrients, it doesn’t cross the placenta easily, and their intestines don’t yet have enough bacteria to produce it on their own. Pediatricians can answer any questions parents have on the vitamin K shot.
