Vitamin K opinions?

[handbagqueen]

Hello all,
i'm just finishing off my birth plan and I can't make up my mind on vitamin k for baby- whether to have it at all or how to have it given- injection or oral? Anyone got any opinions on this? I can't remember what was said in my nct class and didn't take notes!

 

[daftscotslass]

We went for the injection, it's quick and over and done with in a second. The oral you have to remember to give the doses however far apart they're meant to be given. From the things I've read there's no evidence to suggest the oral is safer than the injection.

 

[charlie84]

We went for the injection, it's quick and over and done with in a second. The oral you have to remember to give the doses however far apart they're meant to be given. From the things I've read there's no evidence to suggest the oral is safer than the injection.

Yep we went for the injection too

 

[LisaJ1986]

I also went for injection. Angel never cried at birth and i don't even remember them injecting her. It was done and out the way. Never thought about it again. I was gonna opt for oral, but i just wanted it over and done with. She would've forgotten all about within seconds. Don't think she even noticed.

 

[purple13]

we had the injection too - i don't remember it being given either...

 

[Sandi4Paul]

we went oral as i don't like needles myself and the thought of someone coming towards my newborn with a needle was more than i could handle.

we have had the first tow doses gien by the M/W (we could have given the 7 day one ourselves, but someone failed their heel prick test so they had to come back anyway)

Luckily Logan seems to quite like the taste of it.

Go with whatever suits you, they only give three doses of oral to make sure it is absorbed into the blood stream (in case LO throws up soon after), with injection they know it has gone in.

Sandi

 

[Mildly]

There was some study which was later disproven linking the injection to infant leukaemia. I think the study was only done on a 100 babies so the subject field was very small and not reliable enough to make an informed conclusion.

I will be going for the injection - as the others have said it gets it over and done with, no faffing around having to remember the second oral dose.

 

[MissSara]

I have gone with the injection aswell, and i did with harrison.
Its quick over and done with and Harrison never even flinched when he had his done at birth.

 

[Jade&Evie]

we had the injection too - i don't remember it being given either...

ditto. I had to ask them if they'd done it!

 

[nutcase109]

Hi Handbag Queen! Ive been tying myself in knots about this for weeks, so I know how you feel. You should also talk to Naturalmamma on here as she has some really interesting views and advice regarding the argument against vit-k. My prob with it is that its such a huge huge dose (something like 1000 times the recommended maximum ADULT dose) to 'speed up maturation of the babys liver'. That just sits uncomfortably with me. The thought of interfering with nature and speeding up the way babys insides grow... Also, its particularly recommended tobabies who are going to be breastfed, as vit k is already contained in formula milks. However, not that many years ago, they used to recommend the opposite, that non breastfed babies were the ones to get it. Now all babies get it. The medical view currently seems to be that breastmilk is not good enough alone, and human breastmilk is deficient in vit k. This also sits uncomfortably with me. As breastmilk has developed and evolved with us for thousands of millions years, the idea that scientists in the last 30yrs of human history have come up with this idea that its suddenly not as good as their alternative, seems a bit off.

Saying that, mortality rates amongst babies have gone down dramatically in our era, thanks to medical science. I feel like being stubborn and having strong views on something which Im not qualified in like the doctors are, could have huge effects on my baby when it comes. I mean, I would hate to say no to the injection, because of a 'feeling' I have about it, and then something awful to happen where my baby is the rare one in a million that develops the internal bleeding that the vit k injection is supposed to prevent against. Im so torn.

Oral vs injection I dont really have a formed opinion on, I guess the oral might be a bit gentler, as there are no needles, but seconds after the trauma of being born, Im not sure the baby would care about one little needle prick!

At the moment Ive caved in and said yes, we will have the injection, but I may well change my mind when I see my new baby, and call the whole thing off.

I also read some interesting articles on AIMS website, just search for vitamin k in the essays section.

Sorry its soooooo loing, hope its been at least a little bit of help?!

Emily x

 

[abcd1234]

Tally had the oral, the midwife gave her it in hospital and she lapped it up no problem and the hv/midwife gives all other doses too, she'll have her last one next tuesday.

i choose the oral cos i didnt want either of us to be injected if there was an alternative, it wasn't anything to do with supossed risks with the injection jusr purely a decision based on wanting her to be as uninterfeared with as possible.

 

[sarah113]

all mine had the injection

 

[Sherlock]

Hi Handbag Queen! Ive been tying myself in knots about this for weeks, so I know how you feel. You should also talk to Naturalmamma on here as she has some really interesting views and advice regarding the argument against vit-k. My prob with it is that its such a huge huge dose (something like 1000 times the recommended maximum ADULT dose) to 'speed up maturation of the babys liver'. That just sits uncomfortably with me. The thought of interfering with nature and speeding up the way babys insides grow... Also, its particularly recommended tobabies who are going to be breastfed, as vit k is already contained in formula milks. However, not that many years ago, they used to recommend the opposite, that non breastfed babies were the ones to get it. Now all babies get it. The medical view currently seems to be that breastmilk is not good enough alone, and human breastmilk is deficient in vit k. This also sits uncomfortably with me. As breastmilk has developed and evolved with us for thousands of millions years, the idea that scientists in the last 30yrs of human history have come up with this idea that its suddenly not as good as their alternative, seems a bit off.

Saying that, mortality rates amongst babies have gone down dramatically in our era, thanks to medical science. I feel like being stubborn and having strong views on something which Im not qualified in like the doctors are, could have huge effects on my baby when it comes. I mean, I would hate to say no to the injection, because of a 'feeling' I have about it, and then something awful to happen where my baby is the rare one in a million that develops the internal bleeding that the vit k injection is supposed to prevent against. Im so torn.

Oral vs injection I dont really have a formed opinion on, I guess the oral might be a bit gentler, as there are no needles, but seconds after the trauma of being born, Im not sure the baby would care about one little needle prick!

At the moment Ive caved in and said yes, we will have the injection, but I may well change my mind when I see my new baby, and call the whole thing off.

I also read some interesting articles on AIMS website, just search for vitamin k in the essays section.

Sorry its soooooo loing, hope its been at least a little bit of help?!

Emily x

My sister died because of a blood clotting disorder at birth that a vitamin K injection would have prevented. It would have saved her life plain and simple. Alas it was a few months before Vit K became standard for all newborns (early 70's).

It is a strong dose. And Vit K defieciency only affects a tiny proportion of babies born and most don't actually need it. Bottom line is it is down to personal choice. I wasn't keen on my LO having it despite my sister dying all those years ago. However, after much reading and thought I opted with hubby to have the injection at birth.

 

[Lola's Mummy]

Lola had vitamin K orally

 

[handbagqueen]

Thanks for all the advice ladies. I will let dh know all the opinions today and hopefully come up with a joint decision.

 

[nutcase109]

Not really sure why I was quoted there!

lol

I dunno, its all a massive dilemma and we shouldnt beat ourselves up about it I guess. Im sure you will make the right decision for you. It certainly doesnt seem to have harmed the millions of babies who have had it in the last few years so either way Im sure we will all be ok whatever we decide xx

Hi Handbag Queen! Ive been tying myself in knots about this for weeks, so I know how you feel. You should also talk to Naturalmamma on here as she has some really interesting views and advice regarding the argument against vit-k. My prob with it is that its such a huge huge dose (something like 1000 times the recommended maximum ADULT dose) to 'speed up maturation of the babys liver'. That just sits uncomfortably with me. The thought of interfering with nature and speeding up the way babys insides grow... Also, its particularly recommended tobabies who are going to be breastfed, as vit k is already contained in formula milks. However, not that many years ago, they used to recommend the opposite, that non breastfed babies were the ones to get it. Now all babies get it. The medical view currently seems to be that breastmilk is not good enough alone, and human breastmilk is deficient in vit k. This also sits uncomfortably with me. As breastmilk has developed and evolved with us for thousands of millions years, the idea that scientists in the last 30yrs of human history have come up with this idea that its suddenly not as good as their alternative, seems a bit off.

Saying that, mortality rates amongst babies have gone down dramatically in our era, thanks to medical science. I feel like being stubborn and having strong views on something which Im not qualified in like the doctors are, could have huge effects on my baby when it comes. I mean, I would hate to say no to the injection, because of a 'feeling' I have about it, and then something awful to happen where my baby is the rare one in a million that develops the internal bleeding that the vit k injection is supposed to prevent against. Im so torn.

Oral vs injection I dont really have a formed opinion on, I guess the oral might be a bit gentler, as there are no needles, but seconds after the trauma of being born, Im not sure the baby would care about one little needle prick!

At the moment Ive caved in and said yes, we will have the injection, but I may well change my mind when I see my new baby, and call the whole thing off.

I also read some interesting articles on AIMS website, just search for vitamin k in the essays section.

Sorry its soooooo loing, hope its been at least a little bit of help?!

Emily x

My sister died because of a blood clotting disorder at birth that a vitamin K injection would have prevented. It would have saved her life plain and simple. Alas it was a few months before Vit K became standard for all newborns (early 70's).

It is a strong dose. And Vit K defieciency only affects a tiny proportion of babies born and most don't actually need it. Bottom line is it is down to personal choice. I wasn't keen on my LO having it despite my sister dying all those years ago. However, after much reading and thought I opted with hubby to have the injection at birth.