Why more Canadian parents are saying no to newborn vitamin K shots – CTV
May 22, 2026
As more Canadian health-care providers report seeing parents refuse vitamin K shots for newborns, experts are raising concern about the role misinformation and growing hesitancy toward preventive health interventions may be playing.
In January 2024, the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) reaffirmed that newborns should routinely receive a vitamin K shot shortly after birth to prevent a rare but potentially life-threatening condition known as vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).
According to the national guideline, newborns are naturally born with low stores of vitamin K — a nutrient essential for blood clotting — and breast milk alone does not provide enough to protect infants in the early weeks of life.
Without adequate vitamin K, babies can develop severe bleeding in the brain, intestines or other organs.
The guideline, jointly issued with the College of Family Physicians of Canada, recommends all newborns receive a single intramuscular dose — or simply, medication deep into muscle tissue — within the first six hours after birth.
