Category Archives: Vitamin K

Dear Daughter and SIL

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I have absolute confidence in your body’s ability to grow a baby, birth a baby, and breastfeed a baby! You’re doing great! God created your precious baby and knows him/her well already! There was a divine spark that ignited life in you and is now growing in you!

I recently saw this  list of questions to ask midwives and thought it was a fairly good list but got me thinking about the most important questions pregnant parents should ask. I would modify some of the questions so that they require more than a yes/no answer.

One question I would add – at the top of the list is “Describe the cord clamping process”. Many ‘standard’ practices of birth are widely accepted by midwives. Midwives were once the guardians of natural respectful birth but have become indoctrinated with medical training in a similar way as doctors. Not all midwives have the same outlook on standard procedures around birth which makes it important to know what to ask about. Some examples:

Pregnancy

TDaP & flu vaccines routinely recommended during pregnancy have never been safety tested, yet because CDC recommends them for every woman for every pregnancy – no matter when they had the last shot – midwives go along with suggesting or recommending them. This recommendation has only recently been implemented – from around 2008 or so. Before that EVERYONE understood vaccines in pregnancy were a very bad idea. I’ve got a few blogs about these. Moms can absolutely refuse. Politely refuse.

Rhogam during pregnancy. This shot has caused a lot of problems for some individuals related through VaxXed story videos. Many times the blood type of the father is not even considered. If both mom and dad are rH – there is no need for a Rhogam shot either during pregnancy or after birth. I admit I haven’t fully researched the impact of refusing Rhogam for after birth when a baby is rH positive. I just accepted that when my first two babies were born, tested to be + and I got the shot – after the birth. The only ‘danger’ or risk of refusing the Rhogam after birth is going to be for the next pregnancy/baby. If mom is rH negative and baby is rH positive some of the blood may have mixed during the birth process which would cause mom to produce antibodies in the next pregnancy. It will not impact the current baby. There are health risks for mom that are generally not presented when the shot is recommended. Rhogam contains polysorbate 80 which is known to open the blood brain barrier.

During Birth:

  • What type of monitoring is done during labor?
  • What kind of movement will be possible for me during labor?
  • How do you encourage movement?
  • Under what circumstances would you want to restrict movement?
  • What type of water birth options are available?
  • At what stage of labor is a birthing pool encouraged?
  • What position do most of your moms give birth in? This is a good question because it reveals the reality of what happens – not just what they say they believe in. Standing, squatting, (my third baby) or kneeling over a chair (that’s how you, #4, were born) allow the fullest opening of the pelvis for easier delivery. Lying on a bed restricts the pelvis – my first two babies.

After birth:

  • Vitamin K. Most facilities routinely administer vitamin K nearly immediately after birth – sometimes without even asking the parents or thinking twice about it. I’ve got a few blogs about Vitamin K. Knowing what I know I would always refuse vitamin K injections, but staff are often misinformed and very pushy about this. If the staff are pushy I would have vitamin K drops on hand and assure them the drops will provide even better protection. I don’t think the drops are necessary to give, but they provide a great protection from pushy medical people. Dr Suzanne Humphries speaks to the details of vitamin K injections and drops in a video on my blog.
  • Hepatitis B vaccine on first day of life. This is one of the worst vaccines. I’ve written extensively about it. Hepatitis B vaccine is never necessary, especially when mom is negative for hepatitis B, yet so many medical people push it as if it is life-saving.
  • ‘Eye goop’. Standard policy for all babies to protect against blindness possibly caused by STI in the vaginal canal. It burns baby’s eyes and causes them to keep them closed which can interfere with bonding.
  • Bath. Timing of the first bath. Many people feel delaying a bath is better for baby. The vernix is good to soak in the skin. Any mess can simply be wiped off.
  • Delayed Cord clamping is HUGE. Quick cord clamping greatly reduces baby’s total blood volume. 1/3 of baby’s blood is still in the cord. Some birth attendants think they delay because they wait one minute. The cord needs to be allowed to give all the residual blood and STEM CELLS to the baby. Some say 10 minutes, some say until the cord stops pulsating, and some do ‘lotus’ birth where they don’t ever cut the cord but keep the cord and placenta attached for days until it naturally falls off!
  • Ask ‘what happens to my placenta‘? That’s another good question. Many women want to keep their placenta. Some prepare it and capsulize it and find it a wonderful supplement for the months following birth. I never did that, but your SIL did.

All standard procedures can be refused – but navigating the process can be challenging depending on the staff, their beliefs, and their respect for you. Many babies ‘accidentally’ are given shots that the parents have expressly stated they do not want. The best approach for this is to keep the baby in your arms – mom or dad or baby body guard (BBG) – at all times while in the medical facility. If baby needs anything the nurse will sometimes say “I need to take baby to nursery for ….” a BBG must accompany nurse for all such visits. 

Medical people hate to be disrespected. The hardest part of navigating birth is the need to be ultra respectful and polite while standing your ground! Information, research, and knowledge will all give you the kahoonas to manage this process. Having respect for ridiculousness is not my strongest character strength, but I keep trying to learn and put it into practice.

I highly recommend a very short booklet called Basic Needs of a Woman in Labor. Understanding these principles truly make labor go easier, faster and better. You can order an electronic copy with any small donation.

Birth Without Fear: the judgment-free guide to taking charge of your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by January Harshe published in 2019 looks like a great read.

I repeat, I have absolute confidence in your body’s ability to grow a baby, birth a baby, and breastfeed a baby! You’re doing great! God created your precious baby and knows him/her well already! There was a divine spark that ignited life in you and is now growing in you! My hope is that you would not have any fear at all, but feel empowered for this process. 
Love Mom

Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

Assaulting Babies?

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Think about all the assaults impacting a newborn baby today:

  1. Vitamin K given ASAP at birth;
  2. Hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth;
  3. 36 doses of vaccines targeting 14 infections BEFORE 18 MONTHS, never tested individually for safety, or proven safe given in combination, yet recommended by CDC. 
  4. Circumcision for many. A study following 342K boys for 9 years: Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys: national cohort study in Denmark, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4530408/
  5. Tylenol given for pain with vaccines and circumcision;
  6. A mom who receives flu or TDaP vaccines in pregnancy;
  7. Multiple ultrasounds in pregnancy;
  8. Poor latching and trauma that leads to lack of breastfeeding and receiving breastmilk substitutes which lack immune boosting and stem cells;
  9. Quick cord clamping reducing the blood volume and stem cells;
  10. Giving Tamiflu to children when they are sick;
  11. Birth trauma diminishing bonding opportunity with mom.

Boy’s have it particularly bad because of #3. All these “standard of care” treatments induce trauma and unnaturally stimulate the immune system.

Any wonder there is a ASD/ADHD epidemic?

More collections of information on longterm healthy choices for our babies:

Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

Warning Signs

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Every parent wants the best for their baby. No rational parent seeks to harm their infant. The tragic death of Evee Gayle Clobes reminds us that not all babies can safely receive the one-size-fits-all vaccine schedule.

Catie Clobes describes how she missed the warning signs after each round of vaccines Evee received. The signs of adverse impact on Evee are clear in hindsight, yet Catie was given no information on what to look for. She trusted the CDC schedule recommended by her doctor. Evee tragically died 36 hours after her 6 months shots. Like many parents, Catie didn’t make the connection when it was right in front of her eyes. Please don’t ignore the warning signs. If you know anyone that continues to give vaccines, at least share this information so they can be aware of the signs.

Here is an introduction to the very short life of Evee Gayle Clobes:

“On Wednesday, February 27, 2019, Catie Clobes of Howard Lake, Minnesota brought her happy, healthy, well-developed 6-month-old baby girl Evee Gayle Clobes to her well-baby checkup, whereupon the pediatrician declared her to be in “perfect health” with no problems or concerns. After Evee was examined by her pediatrician, the nurse administered her shots according to the CDC recommended schedule – 6 doses total, via Pediarix and Prevnar.”

36 hours later Evee was dead. Please learn more and share this important story. https://www.justiceforevee.org/eveesstory

Go to Catie’s website to see a list of all the warning signs.

Science is clear that there are risks to the many routine procedures performed on babies as a “standard of care” practice in the USA and many other countries.

Vitamin K

  • “The form of vitamin K known as vitamin K1 might lower blood sugar levels.” https://www.emedicinehealth.com/vitamin_k/vitamins-supplements.htm
  • Vitamin K is injected into newborns at birth with the intention of increasing coagulation of the blood to prevent hemorrhage.
  • Hematocrit is a measure of the percentage or proportion of red blood cells (erythrocytes) of the total blood volume.
  • An increase in hematocrit is associated with increased blood viscosity and increased adhesiveness of platelets.
  • High hematocrit is associated with hypercoagulation / hypercoagulability.
  • “…erythrocytes are the main suppliers of phosphatidylserine-exposing membranes needed for coagulation…” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed…
  • “…vitamin K aims at rapid lowering of the international normalized ratio (INR) into a safe range to reduce the risk of major bleeding and therefore improving patient outcome without exposing the patient to the risk of thromboembolism due to overcorrection…” (Evee’s levels were sensitive to being “overcorrected”.) American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00129784-200404010-00005
  • “Parenteral vitamin K1 (phytonadione) is used for anticoagulant reversal, and a boxed warning exists with intravenous and intramuscular administration due to the possibility of severe reactions, including fatalities. These reactions resemble hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis, including anaphylactoid reaction, and have led to shock and cardiac and/or respiratory arrest.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1076029616674825

Cardiorespiratory

  • The title of a study from 2007 makes it clear that there are adverse impacts: “Primary Immunization of Premature Infants with Gestational Age <35 Weeks: Cardiorespiratory Complications and C-Reactive Protein Responses Associated with Administration of Single and Multiple Separate Vaccines Simultaneously.”
  • 16% of infants in the study experienced immunization-related cardiorespiratory events, and 11% required oxygen therapy.
  • “…infants were asymptomatic before immunization but had episodes of apnea, bradycardia, or [oxygen] desaturation after immunization…”
  • “[Cardiorespiratory event] level is expected to be elevated in the 48 hours following immunization. In a minority of infants immunized, cardiorespiratory events were associated with presumed need for intervention.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347607001850
  • “Possible Predictors of Cardiorespiratory Events after Immunization in Preterm Neonates.” Neonatology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23887711/

Cranial nerve impairment

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

  • Simultaneous sudden infant death (SIDS) syndrome. “Twin girls (3.5-month-old) were found dead by their mother in their crib, both in supine position. The infants were identical twins and delivered at a hospital by cesarean section. Both infants were healthy and did not have any serious medical history. Two days prior to the incident, the twins had received the second dose of oral polio, DPT and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccines and they had fever on the first day of the vaccination and been given teaspoonful of acetaminophen.” “Simultaneous Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2007, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17654772/
  • One example of an award of compensation for sudden infant death in the Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP): https://ecf.cofc.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2013vv0611-73-0

I acknowledge most of this list was compiled by Ashley Everly, Toxicologist, Mother, Activist, Science Writer. Author of Vaccine Guide.

Previous blogs on the topic of vitamin K:

Becky Hastings, passionate about Jesus, health, family, truth and healing foods. For more vaccine information you can start here.

What’s in Vitamin K???

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You may be skeptical about this information. That’s good. I encourage you to be skeptical. Here are a lot of links you can study and draw your own conclusions. Thanks to Lowell Hubbs

URGENT: If you do nothing else, please watch this 8 minute video which explains WHY the vitamin K shot was added as standard birth practice after the introduction of the Hepatitis B shot at birth in the USA. Allison Jones gives a clear thorough chemical analysis of the ingredients and explains how they impact the body. What are we doing to our precious newborns on the first day of life? The ‘vitamin K’ shot contains the same ingredients found in moth balls and is injected into our babies to hide the harm caused by the 50 lb dose of injected Hepatitis B vaccine recommended for every baby. Every person who understands this process will refuse. Please share with unsuspecting parents.

If that video didn’t convince you, Check out the following information:

VaxXed Stories: Dr. Suzanne Humphries in this 13 minute video talks about Cord Clamping & Vitamin K. Her time as a volunteer in Guatemala shaped how she views childbirth, particularly regarding delayed cord-clamping and Vitamin K.

Here’s more:

Vitamin K Shot ‘Ruins Family’s Life’
http://vaxxter.com/vitamin-k-shot-ruins-familys-life/
Consider the Dangers of Vitamin K Shot at Birth: And the Simple Solution
http://joettecalabrese.com/…/consider-dangers-vitamin-k-sh…/
Synthetic vitamin K shot for my baby? No thanks
http://www.livingwhole.org/synthetic-vitamin-k-shot/
How Toxic Are Vitamin K and Hepatitis B Injections?
https://thevaccinereaction.org/…/how-toxic-are-vitamin-k-a…/
SUBJECT: Newborns: Vitamin K Injection Dangers
http://legaljustice4john.com/jaundiceVitKshotNewborns.htm
Skip that Newborn Vitamin K Shot
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/skip-that-newborn…/
Should My Newborn Get A Vitamin K Shot?
http://www.mommypotamus.com/newborn-vitamin-k-shot/
Vitamin K
http://www.whale.to/y/vitk.html
Research Article
BMJ 1992; 305 dos: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.305.6849.341 (Published 08 August 1992)
Cite this as: BMJ 1992;305:341
Childhood cancer, intramuscular vitamin K, and pethidine given during labour.
CONCLUSIONS–The only two studies so far to have examined the relation between childhood cancer and intramuscular vitamin K have shown similar results, and the relation is biologically plausible. The prophylactic benefits against haemorrhagic disease are unlikely to exceed the potential adverse effects from intramuscular vitamin K. Since oral vitamin K has major benefits but no obvious adverse effects this could be the prophylaxis of choice.
Read more:
http://www.bmj.com/content/305/6849/341

Previous blogs on the topic of vitamin K:

Compiler: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, avid reader, health promoter. I seek the truth available through Jesus Christ and try my best to live it and share it. This information is highly significant. Please share.

Vitamin K at Birth?

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I’m not telling you what to do. But please research, read, and investigate what standard procedures will be done to your baby BEFORE you give birth. A vitamin K injection soon after birth has been recommended for over 40 years. Some nurses have been so indoctrinated into thinking it is ONLY good, and never causes harm, that they resort to secretly administering these shots to parents who refuse. The following Facebook comment is verified as being the actual statement from a nurse working in Labor and Delivery for over 30 years:

One not so obvious implication with this nurse’s ‘well intentioned’ action is that she does not record giving the injection into the patient chart. Imagine if another nurse on a different shift has the same mindset? What if baby were actually given 2 or more vitamin K shots because it wasn’t recorded?

Parents. Inform yourself. Make your own choices. But if you go to a hospital make sure you have a reliable baby body guard who 100% agrees to uphold your wishes. Don’t take any chances. A baby body guard should be incredibly strong – unbending – while very respectful, since medical personnel often get their pride wounded when someone disagrees with them. A baby body guard NEVER leaves baby’s side. It is important to designate someone to this position because a mom may not be able to perform this role in the first few hours or sometimes days, after birth. Dad, grandmother, doula, or good friend are possible choices for this important role.

Did you know….The United States Food and Nutrition Board established the adequate intake (AI) level for vitamin K based on consumption levels of healthy individuals for babies 0-6 months at 2mcg. The injection routinely given to newborns contains 1mg (1000mcg) of vitamin K1.

Vitamin K is promoted to ‘protect’ baby from very rare brain bleeds, but is the vitamin K shot completely safe?

Click to read the ingredient list directly from the packaging.

There are two versions of the shot commonly used in US hospitals. The ‘preservative free’ version is manufactured by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and contains 10mg of polysorbate 80.

Here is the black box warning:

The other vitamin K injection, phytonadione by Hospira, Inc., contains 9 mg of benzoyl alcohol (as a preservative) which will target baby’s liver and often leads to baby developing jaundice in the first 2 days of life. Additionally, the impact on the liver may be exacerbated by the 250 mcg of aluminum in the Hepatitis B shot which is also recommended to be given to baby on the first day of life.

The black box warning for this injection.

Does it make sense to inject every single baby with something that could harm them to protect them from something that occurs so rarely we don’t even keep stats on it? 

For more information on whether the vitamin K injection is a good idea for your baby, several key aspects of vitamin need to be explored:

  • The role of injected vitamin K in thickening the blood which prevents the delivery of baby’s own stem cells to the vital work of repair, especially to the brain, of birth trauma.
  • The critical importance of delayed cord clamping (until cord stops pulsating, which may take up to 10 minutes).
  • The amount of vitamin K in the injection.
  • The other ingredients in the injections such as polysorbate 80 which is known to open the tight junctures in the brain allowing other ingredients to pass the blood brain barrier.
  • Repeated exposure of polysorbate 80 and its role in anaphylactic shock. This ingredient is in the DTaP combination vaccine given in five doses starting at 2 months. It is also an ingredient in the HPV vaccine, which has one of the highest number of vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS.

I’ve collected information with citations in previous blogs:

Vitamin K in Brief
The Vitamin K Push
Vitamin K Links

Are there alternatives to injecting vitamin K? Many moms are comfortable with increasing their own stores of vitamin K by eating lots of green leafy vegetables late in pregnancy. Breastfeeding is so important for every aspect of baby’s longterm health, and will also convey the right amount of vitamin K. If you still feel fearful of not giving your baby the standard vitamin K injection, you can choose to give baby oral vitamin K instead.

In 1992, the Netherlands eliminated the vitamin K shot in favor of administration of 1 mg oral Vitamin K at birth followed by daily doses of 25 mcg from week 1 to 3 months of age in breastfed infants (source).

In Switzerland, a slightly different oral vitamin K protocol is used, which consists of weekly 1 mg oral doses for 2-3 months.

The result of this change?  No cases of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding  (VKDB) – even late onset!

If your healthcare provider is leading you to believe that there aren’t safe and effective alternatives to the toxic vitamin K shot, time to call them out on their ignorance.  https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/skip-that-newborn-vitamin-k-shot/

Parenting is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our lifetime. Once an injection is given, it cannot be taken back. Please research exactly what you want your baby to be injected with BEFORE you have to make the decision. Parents need to increase their intuition and decrease their reliance on medical doctors.

Why Are American Doctors so Clueless?

The infant mortality rate in the US is absolutely abysmal, ranking in 34th place after countries like Singapore, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Croatia, and Cuba. This despite having “the best” medicine in the world—and spending more than any other country on health care to boot. It’s quite clear that Americans have a lot to learn with regards to what makes for a healthy baby.

Long-term health does not at all appear to be correlated with getting an abundance of injections. We’re missing something, and I believe that something is really fundamental and basic. Many Americans do not trust their bodies to do what nature intended their bodies to do. The human body is imbued with the power to self heal, if given adequate support.  https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/12/vitamin-k-shot-newborns.aspx

All my love,
Becky
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 25 years, Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety. Becky loves mountain biking and appreciates donations, which mainly encourage her.

The Vitamin K PUSH

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Many parents find they are being pushed to accept the vitamin K shot for their newborn. A variety of claims are made by health care professionals, including “It’s just a vitamin” and “Your baby could die without the shot.” Parents are rightfully concerned. No parent wants to inflict harm on their baby, or deprive them from a life-giving procedure. But is vitamin K absolutely safe and absolutely necessary? Is there anything safer?

There are two versions of vitamin K given to newborns. One contains a preservative benzoyl alcohol and one contains polysorbate 80. These ingredients are of particular concern for those investigating the safety of this injection. “Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant known to facilitate access through the blood brain barrier and has been linked to sterility and other issues.” Benzoyl alcohol could contribute to neonatal jaundice.

Phytonadione by Hospira, Inc.

Version 1: The following information comes directly from the manufacturer’s information sheet for phytonadione by Hospira, Inc. which you can find in full HERE. Notice that this product contains 9 mg of benzoyl alcohol.

Pediatric Use

Hemolysis, jaundice, and hyperbilirubinemia in neonates, particularly those that are premature, may be related to the dose of Vitamin K1 Injection. Therefore, the recommended dose should not be exceeded (see ADVERSE REACTIONS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).

Adverse Reactions

Deaths have occurred after intravenous and intramuscular administration. (See Box Warning.)

Transient “flushing sensations” and “peculiar” sensations of taste have been observed, as well as rare instances of dizziness, rapid and weak pulse, profuse sweating, brief hypotension, dyspnea, and cyanosis.

Pain, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site may occur.

The possibility of allergic sensitivity including an anaphylactoid reaction, should be kept in mind.

CONTRAINDICATION

Hypersensitivity to any component of this medication.

Warnings

Benzyl alcohol as a preservative in Bacteriostatic Sodium Chloride Injection has been associated with toxicity in newborns. Data are unavailable on the toxicity of other preservatives in this age group. There is no evidence to suggest that the small amount of benzyl alcohol contained in Vitamin K1 Injection (Phytonadione Injectable Emulsion, USP), when used as recommended, is associated with toxicity.

Link to complete drug insert: https://www.drugs.com/pro/vitamin-k1.html

Phytonadione by International Medication Systems, Limited

Version 2: The ‘preservative free’ version is manufactured by International Medication Systems, Limited and contains 10 mg of polysorbate 80.

The complete description with warnings and adverse events can be found here.

 

There is particular concern about the administration of either vitamin K shot prior to giving the newborn the CDC recommended Hepatitis B vaccine. There are many aspects of routine newborn care which have not been studied to determine if the combination could be dangerous or cause a reaction when given together. Please research every standard of care procedure for your precious baby to make sure it has been proven to be SAFE.

“Vaccines can have adverse side-effects, and these are predominantly associated with the inclusion of chemical additives such as aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. The objective of this study was to establish an in vitro model system amenable to mechanistic investigations of cytotoxicity induced by hepatitis B vaccine…” Hepatitis B vaccine induces apoptotic death in Hepa1–6 cells, Apoptosis, An International Journal on Programmed Cell Death
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10495-011-0690-1

What if the administration of the vitamin K shot containing polysorbate 80 provides greater permeability to the infant brain so that the aluminum contained in the Hepatitis B vaccine can cause greater damage? This is just a question. But these questions need answers.

Some perspective on the vitamin K injection by Theo Farmer . . . .

I’d like to provide some perspective on the use of the vitamin K shot with babies. In particular, when a doctor says “there is a chance your baby will bleed to death if they don’t get this shot…,” what does that mean?

If you study the attached paper [1] for a while, it seems to me that it boils down to this: if you don’t take vitamin K inhibiting drugs when you’re pregnant and your baby is adequately breastfed, then the chance of them developing a bleeding disorder is 1/15,000 or maybe 1/20,000. There are other factors mentioned, like the incidence goes up if the baby is not adequately fed, but if you’re healthy and the baby is healthy and eating, doctors can still say “there’s a chance” when there is a 1 in 20,000 chance. Also, the paper is ambiguous about how many cases are mild cases and how many result in damage to the child.

To put into perspective the chance “1 in 20,000”: if you had a room in a clinic where one baby was born per day, every baby born in that room for 54 years would be given a vitamin K shot in order to prevent a bleeding disorder in just one baby.

With this 54 year perspective in mind, parents should ask themselves these kinds of questions: in 54 years of giving vitamin K shots, how many of those shots will cause problems? How many will be contaminated in manufacturing? What are the other ingredients besides Vitamin K and what is the chance they cause issues? What are the complications that arise simply by poking babies with needles for 54 years? Are there psychological implications to the child later in life? And then the best question: is there a valid reason that human babies are born deficient in vitamin K (God doesn’t make mistakes)?
And all this leads to a pivotal question: If this doctor has been taught to push this shot for every baby for 54 years to prevent one from excessive bleeding, can he be trusted in general?

From Wikipedia: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments.”

Is there anything safer than vitamin K to protect a baby from brain bleeds?

Dr Suzanne Humphries explains clearly how the biggest factor involved in the vitamin K debate is the necessity of delayed cord clamping. When a baby’s cord is clamped immediately, it deprives baby of up to 1/3 of their total blood volume. By allowing the cord to stay attached at least until it stops pulsating, the baby receives all the blood they need. Additionally, baby receives essential stem cells which can move through the blood and initiate repair to any cells damaged from birth trauma. The stem cells are a brilliant heritage for baby and will contribute to longterm health. Stem cell therapy is a cutting edge field. Parents are often encouraged to harvest stem cells at the time of birth. Yet, very few doctors understand or explain to parents that the best heritage they can give their baby at birth is DELAYED CORD CLAMPING and successful breastfeeding. Additionally, mom can supplement her own vitamin K during pregnancy and after, by eating foods that supply this essential nutrient.

Edited to add: If you decide you want to give vitamin K order the liquid form. Take it to the hospital with you. Even if you decide NOT to give any vitamin K and you are birthing in a hospital, it might be a good idea to have the liquid form with you to appease those who are pushing you. Whether you give it or not, you can explain that you have the liquid version and you prefer to use that.

Let’s research and get the FACTS so that we can make informed decisions for the longterm health of our precious babies. More info on vitamin K here and here.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five naturally born breastfed babies, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a volunteer breastfeeding counselor since 1993, Becky is devoted to helping parents, especially mothers, make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies.

 

[1]  Lippi, Giuseppe, and Massimo Franchini. “Vitamin K in Neonates: Facts and Myths.” Blood Transfusion, Edizioni SIMTI – SIMTI Servizi Srl, Jan. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021393/. Accessed 4 November 2017.