U.S. Refusals of Newborn Vitamin K Shots Spike, Raising Risk of Life-Threatening Bleeding

An exclusive data analysis for Reuters reveals a sharp acceleration in the percentage of U.S. parents and caregivers refusing the standard vitamin K shot for infants at birth this year. Data from over 1 million births nationwide showed the rate of non-receipt jumped over 57% from January through June 2026, making it 2.5 times higher than the 2019-2024 average. This trend puts more newborns at risk of life-threatening bleeding in the brain or gut, as babies are born with low vitamin K levels essential for blood clotting.