References for Newborn Vitamin K Benefits, Risks, & Controversies
12/18/2025
Blackburn, S. (2018). Maternal, Fetal, & Neonatal Physiology, 5th Ed. Elsevier: St. Louis, Missouri.
Britt RB, Brown JN. Characterizing the Severe Reactions of Parenteral Vitamin K1. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2018 Jan;24(1):5-12. doi: 10.1177/1076029616674825. Epub 2016 Oct 21. PMID: 28301903; PMCID: PMC6714635.
Cheng JH, Loyal J, Wood KE, Kair LR. Oral Vitamin K Prophylaxis in Newborns: A Survey of Clinician Opinions and Practices. Hosp Pediatr. 2020 Feb;10(2):153-158. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2019-0219. Epub 2020 Jan 6. PMID: 31907174; PMCID: PMC6986901.
Clarke, P., Shearer, M. J., Card, D. J., Nichols, A., Ponnusamy, V., Mahaveer, A., Voong, K., Dockery, K., Holland, N., Mulla, S., Hall, L. J., Maassen, C., Lux, P., Schurgers, L. J., & Harrington, D. J. (2022). Exclusively breastmilk-fed preterm infants are at high risk of developing subclinical vitamin K deficiency despite intramuscular prophylaxis at birth. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis : JTH, 20(12), 2773–2785. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1111/jth.15874
Fear NT, Roman E, Ansell P, Simpson J, Day N, Eden OB; United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study. Vitamin K and childhood cancer: a report from the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study. Br J Cancer. 2003 Oct 6;89(7):1228-31. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6601278. PMID: 14520451; PMCID: PMC2394315.
Fiesack, S., Smits, A., Rayyan, M., Allegaert, K., Alliet, P., Arts, W., Bael, A., Cornette, L., De Guchtenaere, A., De Mulder, N., George, I., Henrion, E., Keiren, K., Kreins, N., Raes, M., Philippet, P., Van Overmeire, B., Van Winckel, M., Vlieghe, V., et al. (2021). Belgian Consensus Recommendations to Prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in the Term and Preterm Infant. Nutrients, 13(11). https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.3390/nu13114109
Hand, I., Noble, L., & Abrams, S. A. (2022). Vitamin K and the Newborn Infant. Pediatrics, 149(3). https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1542/peds.2021-056036
Hansen, K. N., Minousis, M., & Ebbesen, F. (2003). Weekly oral vitamin K prophylaxis in Denmark. Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 92(7), 802–805.
Imbrescia K, Moszczynski Z. Vitamin K. [Updated 2023 Jul 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551578/
Koklu E, Taskale T, Koklu S, Ariguloglu EA. Anaphylactic shock due to vitamin K in a newborn and review of literature. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2014 Jul;27(11):1180-1. doi: 10.3109/14767058.2013.847425. Epub 2013 Oct 17. PMID: 24059412.
Laubscher, B., Aebi, C., Bänziger, O., Schubiger, G., Antonelli, E., Bär, W., Bianchetti, M., Blumberg, A., Bucher, H. U., Buetti, L., Cachat, F., Carrel, O., Cattin, P. O., Corboz, A., Däster, C., Diebold, P., Dolivo, P., Farron, F., Fluri, S., et al. (2013). Prevention of vitamin K deficiency bleeding with three oral mixed micellar phylloquinone doses: results of a 6-year (2005-2011) surveillance in Switzerland. European Journal of Pediatrics, 172(3), 357–360. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1007/s00431-012-1895-1
Levy A, Nabatian S. The Legality of Vitamin K Refusal in the United States. Cureus. 2025 Feb 20;17(2):e79368. doi: 10.7759/cureus.79368. PMID: 40125142; PMCID: PMC11929546.
Loyal J, Danziger P, Wood KE. Midwives' Perspectives about Vitamin K Prophylaxis Against Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding of the Newborn. Matern Child Health J. 2022 Aug;26(8):1641-1648. doi: 10.1007/s10995-022-03423-4. Epub 2022 May 12. PMID: 35551587; PMCID: PMC9095437.
Loyal J, Taylor JA, Phillipi CA, Goyal NK, Dhepyasuwan N, Shapiro ED, Colson E. Refusal of Vitamin K by Parents of Newborns: A Survey of the Better Outcomes Through Research for Newborns Network. Acad Pediatr. 2017 May-Jun;17(4):368-373. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2016.10.012. Epub 2017 Mar 9. PMID: 28277269; PMCID: PMC5928503.
Loyal, J., Taylor, J. A., Phillipi, C. A., Goyal, N. K., Wood, K. E., Seashore, C., King, B., Colson, E., Shabanova, V., Shapiro, E. D., & BORN investigators. (2018). Factors Associated With Refusal of Intramuscular Vitamin K in Normal Newborns. Pediatrics, 142(2). https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1542/peds.2017-3743
Loyal J, Shapiro ED. Refusal of Intramuscular Vitamin K by Parents of Newborns: A Review. Hosp Pediatr. 2020 Mar;10(3):286-294. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2019-0228. Epub 2020 Feb 4. PMID: 32019806; PMCID: PMC7041551.
Marcewicz LH, Clayton J, Maenner M, Odom E, Okoroh E, Christensen D, Goodman A, Warren MD, Traylor J, Miller A, Jones T, Dunn J, Schaffner W, Grant A. Parental Refusal of Vitamin K and Neonatal Preventive Services: A Need for Surveillance. Matern Child Health J. 2017 May;21(5):1079-1084. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-2205-8. PMID: 28054156; PMCID: PMC5526450.
McKinney PA, Juszczak E, Findlay E, Smith K. Case-control study of childhood leukaemia and cancer in Scotland: findings for neonatal intramuscular vitamin K. BMJ. 1998 Jan 17;316(7126):173-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7126.173. PMID: 9468680; PMCID: PMC2665431.
Phillippi, J.C., Holley, S.L., Morad, A. and Collins, M.R. (2016), Prevention of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 61: 632-636. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1111/jmwh.12470
Rogers, T. P., Fathi, O., & Sánchez, P. J. (2023). Neonatologists and vitamin K hesitancy. Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association, 43(8), 1067–1071. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1038/s41372-023-01611-w
Roman E, Fear NT, Ansell P, Bull D, Draper G, McKinney P, Michaelis J, Passmore SJ, von Kries R. Vitamin K and childhood cancer: analysis of individual patient data from six case-control studies. Br J Cancer. 2002 Jan 7;86(1):63-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6600007. PMID: 11857013; PMCID: PMC2746550.
Schulte, R., Jordan, L. C., Morad, A., Naftel, R. P., Wellons, J. C., & Sidonio, R. (2014). Rise in Late Onset Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in Young Infants Because of Omission or Refusal of Prophylaxis at Birth. Pediatric Neurology, 50(6), 564–568. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2014.02.013
Scott K, Miller E, Culhane JF, et al. Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants. JAMA. Published online December 08, 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.21460
Shaw, M. A., & Liu, A. (2023). Take the Shot: A Review of Vitamin K Deficiency. Pediatric Annals, 52(2), e42–e45. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.3928/19382359-20230102-02
Sirachainan, N., Komvilaisak, P., van Ommen, C. H., Revel-Vilk, S., Ohga, S., Zia, A., Ochiai, M., Takahashi, D., Suga, S., Labarque, V., Amankwah, E. K., Souvanlasy, B., Betensky, M., Chan, A. K., Chuansumrit, A., Goldenberg, N., & Rajpurkar, M. (2025). International Perspectives on Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in Infants: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Survey. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 72(10), e31889. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1002/pbc.31889
Weddle, M., Empey, A., Crossen, E., Green, A., Green, J., & Phillipi, C. A. (2015). Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding? Pediatrics, 136(4), 753–757. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1542/peds.2014-2293