423
Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth
(www.propublica.org)
this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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This is the fault of the US healthcare system and not necessarily the parents. I've had two kids in American hospitals and it was the single most exhausting, tortuous experience of my life each time. They don't let you rest, so your decision making is impacted, then they have over 30 injections they want to give your newborn and God forbid you want to discuss any of them, you must be an anti-science monster if you dare to question a single one. If the practitioners can't express plainly what is necessary and what is superfluous? Okay so the newborn baby needs a vitamin K injection, a vitamin their body will make on its own in a few days, to stop brain bleeds? And why is my newborn at risk of a brain bleed? Something to do with the constant stream of injections you're giving them? Or maybe the cuts? Oh because of the jaundice? Well if you would allow parents to get their children any kind of natural light maybe that wouldn't be an issue, but instead we're being held hostage here until you are satisfied that you've solved every issue you create.
You can all sit behind your keyboards judging the sleep deprived new parents who are being misled and taken advantage of by the healthcare industry, and act like they don't deserve to procreate, but like any other issue there is a lot more nuance to the problem than just "American dumb"
There are greater risks to using sunlight to treat newborn jaundice than to use the blue lights hospitals provide.
From that link:
On the flip side, the potential side effects of the hospital blue light treatment include mild "skin rash, diarrhea, or dehydration," which are usually temporary and resolve on their own after treatment. I'd rather a baby get a mild skin rash that goes away after being taken out of the light, than get sunburn that takes weeks to heal from and can increase the risk of cancer.
Having a new baby is stressful, I get it. But it takes nearly 9 months for the baby to arrive. Is that not enough time for new parents to learn about the medical treatments their baby will receive?
sigh I knew alekwithak's comment would get misinterpreted and downvoted.
FFS, the negative reaction against the stream of "unreasonable" questions posed above is exactly the problem. A question is asked of a professional warrants a clear compassionate response, not prejudice and derision.
Yes, the single aspect of Vitamin K1 injections/oral for neonates is highly effective uncontroversial science based medicine, but one needs to remember the context: so much of what parents are pushed to do medically around pregnancy and childbirth in a hospital-based birth is controversial and questionable, and in many cases the norms pushed by hospitals have evidence against them yet are still pushed by that system (for example: GBS testing & prophylactic antibiotics, gestational diabetes testing, routine induction before 42-43 weeks, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, circumcision).
In any case, prophylactic vitamin K1 can be offered orally if the parent is averse to shots for the newborn, sidestepping much of the perceived issue. It's unconsciable that this is not offered in some places (USA).
My mas a nurse and had them skip the HPV when I was born vaccine because it was spanky new and had some issues at the time and its not like if be exposed hepatitis any time soon. Claimed religious reasons, which is funny because she knew the Dr, and he knew it was BS.
That being said 12 years later in middle school they she signed the sheet for me to get it no fuss.
She ain't anti-science, just doesn't trust systematic organizations not to test shit on poor people.
She was also adamant about getting covid shots early because also has an understanding of risk vs reward, but advised to avoid J&J for obv reasons.
30 injections to newborns? Im calling bullshit on that.