Re: Vitamin k shots and newborn eye drops

[Guest guest]

Congrats on your grandson!!

We skipped them (in addition to being no-vax).

The shot is K1 (K from vegetable products) not K2 (from animal products)

which we occasionally talk about here. If it had been K2, I may have done

it. I don't know... it is a huge dose by weight, no matter which form. I

can't say I'm comfortable with injection of anything, especially not

something in such a high dose.

If you do decide to do the eye drops, I've read you should wait at least an

hour since they blur babies vision and that can adversely effect bonding.

I've read these are given to prevent certain STDs from the mother from

causing blindness in the infant - most mothers nowadays are tested for

several STDs during the course of their pregnancy.

-Lana

On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 3:30 PM, c_rene_r <rrucker2b@...> wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> My Grandson will be here soon and was wondering if anyone had an

> opinion for/against the vitamin k shot and silver nitrate eye drops(I

> believe that is what will be administered). He will not be vaccinated.

>

> TIA

> Rene

[Guest guest]

Rene,

> Hi all,

>

> My Grandson will be here soon and was wondering if anyone had an

> opinion for/against the vitamin k shot and silver nitrate eye drops(I

> believe that is what will be administered). He will not be vaccinated.

If it was me, no way would I allow my son or grandson (if I had the

choice) to be supplemented with Vitamin K. Such supplementation is not

without risk (http://vaclib.org/basic/vitamin-k.htm) and more

importantly, for a healthy baby, unless he is going to be circumcised

immediately after birth, where clotting of the blood will be necessary

as a result of the surgical procedure, there should be no reason for

this to be done.

In a quick search on the web I cannot find an original cite, but Dr.

Emmett Holt, of _Holt Pediatrics_ fame

(http://archives.med.nyu.edu/collections/findingaids/holt.html),

demonstrated that vitamin K (while very low in a newborn the first few

days of life) was highest percentage wise on the eighth day after a

child is born, higher than at any other time of his **entire** life.

So if you are going to have your grandson circumcised, IMO, best to do

it on the eighth day after birth and avoid the vitamin K shot and its

attendant risks.

If he is not going to be circumcised (and there are no other

hemorrhagic issues) then that is even more of a reason to avoid the

shot.

--

It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how

many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don't keep it

to yourself. Try and help people and make the world a better place. If

you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small

percentage of the population to always find a way to take it

personally. F*ck 'em. There are no statues erected to critics.

- Ferriss

[Guest guest]

On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 10:28 PM, <slethnobotanist@...> wrote:

> In a quick search on the web I cannot find an original cite, but Dr.

> Emmett Holt, of _Holt Pediatrics_ fame

> (http://archives.med.nyu.edu/collections/findingaids/holt.html),

> demonstrated that vitamin K (while very low in a newborn the first few

> days of life) was highest percentage wise on the eighth day after a

> child is born, higher than at any other time of his **entire** life.

I meant to say vitamin K levels are normal but a related factor in

blood clotting, prothrombin, is at the highest levels it will ever be

in the life of the newborn, on the eighth day after birth.

--

It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how

many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don't keep it

to yourself. Try and help people and make the world a better place. If

you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small

percentage of the population to always find a way to take it

personally. F*ck 'em. There are no statues erected to critics.

- Ferriss