Oral Vitamin K??

[BellyBelly]

Vitamin K is a very contentious issue because some studies have shown the shot to be linked to childhood leukaemia, and others said not. Like previous posters have also said, while babies are born with a low amount of vitamin K, they usually don't demonstrate vitamin K deficiencies either. I'm trying to make sure I have plenty of vitamin K in my diet and I wont be having either, unless there are complications.

If you intend on breastfeeding and have a normal, uncomplicated birth then you're less likely to need it. I think its 1 in 20,000 babies are said to get Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).

"Both Dr. Palmer and Dr. Mercola recommend the administration of vitamin K on a gradual basis using an oral route. This reduces the effect of high doses on the body and the development of childhood leukemias. Dr. Palmer also notes that although infants demonstrate a lower blood level of vitamin K than a recommended amount, they also do not demonstrate vitamin K deficiency. Newborns are at higher risk of developing this bleeding disorder if they were born preterm; were low birth weight; had a forceps, vacuum or cesarean section delivery, or an extremely fast or prolonged delivery; have undetected liver disease; or if mother used antibiotics, anticoagulants or anticonvulsants during the pregnancy."

From the Natural News site:

"The observation that natural levels of vitamin K are low in babies and that vitamin K does not pass into the placenta suggests that our physiologies are fine tuned to keep this vitamin low initially."

"Also, wait! Immediate clamping or cutting of the umbilical cord results in a loss of up to 40% of the baby`s blood volume. Valuable platelets and coagulation factors are also lost. Indeed, a 2006 study in the journal Pediatrics showed that in low birth weight babies (less than 3 pounds 5 ounces and born before week 32) a delay of 35-40 seconds allowed an 8 to 24% increase in the baby`s blood volume compared to those with their cords clamped at 5-10 seconds. Two of the 23 male infants (about 9%) in the delayed-clamping group suffered from brain hemorrhaging while 8 of the 19 (42%) in the immediate-clamping group did. How much better off might they have been if the delay had been two or three minutes instead of 40 seconds?

Early cord clamping may partially explain the association between traumatic birth and HDN as well: forceps and vacuum births often cause bruising or internal bleeding, which uses up the baby`s available clotting factors; then baby is immediately cut off from his blood and oxygen source (the placenta) in order to be rushed off for resuscitation. In any of these events, as in normal births, delayed clamping ought to be standard practice."

FYI:

Excellent sources of vitamin K include parsley, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, thyme, romaine lettuce, sage, oregano, cabbage, celery, sea vegetables, cucumber, leeks, cauliflower, tomatoes, and blueberries.