The rate of parents refusing the standard vitamin K shot for newborns in the United States has significantly increased this year, placing more infants at risk of potentially fatal bleeding episodes, according to an exclusive analysis of health records. The data, compiled by health analytics company Truveta, reviewed over one million births nationwide and found that the percentage of newborns not receiving the vitamin K shot within a day of birth jumped more than 57% from January through June 2026.
While vitamin K shot refusals have been on an upward trend for years, the Truveta analysis indicates a marked acceleration. The rate of non-receipt in the first half of 2026 was 2.5 times higher than the average rate from 2019 to 2024 and 1.4 times higher than in 2025. At the end of June 2026, 8.1% of U.S. infants had not received the shot, up from 5.2% six months prior.
Babies are born with very low levels of vitamin K, a crucial element for blood clotting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the shot, noting that without it, infants are 81 times more likely to experience life-threatening bleeding in the brain or gut during their first six months of life. Approximately one in five infants who suffer such severe bleeding will die, compared to one in 59 births when the shot is administered.
Pediatricians and neonatologists have expressed alarm, describing the rise in refusals as a significant concern. They attribute the growing mistrust in established newborn interventions, including the vitamin K shot, to mixed messages from political figures and evolving health policies. Experts suggest that changes in recommendations for other standard childhood vaccines, influenced by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Donald Trump, have created doubt among parents regarding routine newborn treatments.
Specifically, Kennedy's January announcement suggesting that children receive fewer vaccines, and Trump's subsequent call for similar changes via an executive order in August, have been cited as contributing factors to parental hesitancy. This confusion has been referred to as a "spillover effect" by some lawmakers. In April, Representative Kim Schrier, a Democrat and pediatrician, questioned Kennedy about the declining support for vitamin K shots, a concern he reportedly denied having a role in.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that the agency and the CDC are evaluating available data on vitamin K refusals and associated bleeding events, while continuing to provide information to parents and healthcare providers. However, concerns about declining trust in public health institutions, according to a spokesperson, predate the current administration. In July, U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Representative Schrier urged the CDC to begin tracking and publicly releasing data on vitamin K refusals and related incidents, a call that has reportedly not yet been met with a response.
Anecdotal evidence from medical professionals supports the national trend. Some pediatric practices have begun stocking the vitamin K shot in their primary care offices due to the increasing frequency of refusals in hospitals. Medical professionals also report encountering parents who refuse the shot but wish for their male infants to be circumcised, a procedure that carries bleeding risks and is often prohibited in infants who have not received vitamin K.
Analysis of medical records has also indicated a disparity in refusal rates based on infant sex. In June 2026, the refusal rate for baby girls was 8.9%, compared to 7.3% for baby boys. This finding raises concerns about whether vitamin K deficiency and associated bleeding events will increasingly affect female infants. One neonatologist noted that this is not a theoretical risk and keeps her awake at night, prompting her and colleagues to plan a study to investigate this specific issue.