08/09/2026
👶 Have you heard the chatter online lately about Vitamin K for newborns? Wondering what it's all about?
Newborn babies are naturally born with very low levels of vitamin K compared with adults. Vitamin K is essential for normal blood clotting, yet babies receive very little before birth and breast milk contains only small amounts.
While researchers haven't been able to identify a clear advantage to babies being born with low vitamin K levels, we do know that it can place them at risk of a condition called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB).
VKDB can cause serious internal bleeding, including bleeding into the brain, which may result in brain damage or, in rare cases, death. It can occur from the first day of life through to around six months of age.
VKDB is rare, but when it does happen, the consequences can be devastating. The good news is that the risk can be significantly reduced by giving babies a vitamin K supplement shortly after birth. Think of it as a simple preventative measure to help protect your baby during their first months of life.
Vitamin K has been routinely recommended and offered to newborn babies in Australia since the 1980s and has proven to be both safe and effective in preventing VKDB. Serious side effects are extremely rare – even rarer than VKDB.
If you'd like to learn more about vitamin K for newborns, speak with your midwife or doctor.
A small dose of Vitamin K at birth can provide important protection during your baby's first months of life.
