Jaundice and Vit K (Was Congrats Michele and Co. ........)

[Guest guest]

Neonatal aundice DOES exist without the shot, but it is more common now

and when the bilirubin levels become much more severe than normal cases

of neonatal jaundice (as my son had) there is a good possibility the

shot caused that (as it is an acknowledged possible side effect).

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Birthpsychology.com

Vitamin K Injection

http://www.birthpsychology.com/messages/vitamink/vitamink.html

 

Description and Official Rationale

This practice was instituted in hospitals during the era of routine

mother- infant separation. According to Williams, " although

controversial in other coutries, " injection of the newborn with Vitamin

K right after birth is almost universal in the United States (Cunningham

et al. 1989:611). The rationale for this is that newborns are born with

a " deficiency " of Vitamin K, which they also do not receive in breast

milk. This leads to a decrease in Vitamin K-dependent blood coagulation

factors, making newborns more susceptible to hemorrhage in the first

several days of life until Vitamin K is manufactured in their systems

(Cunningham et al. 1989:611). The risk is small--about 1 in 200--but real.

 

Physiological Effects

Injection of newborns with Vitamin K in large doses has been implicated

as a cause of neonatal jaundice (Allison 1955; Cunningham et al.

1989:611). A small dose of 1 mg seems to have no ill effects on the baby

beyond the pain caused by the injection itself. If newborns are allowed

to suckle soon after birth, the injection of Vitamin K is less

necessary, since the colostrum that comes immediately from the mother's

breast before her milk lets down is usually rich in Vitamin K (Trevathan

1987:213). In about 1 out of 200 babies, even in those that area

breastfed, however, there is significant danger of hemorrhage. For this

reason, even midwives attending home births sometimes give injections of

Vitamin K. One Anycity midwife, for example, feels that the risk of

cerebral hemorrhage is heightened in very fast or very long labors, when

the baby has a strongly cone-shaped head, or when the baby demonstrates

significant heart-rate decelerations during late labor. Because she

believes in their value, she gives Vitamin K injections to around 40% of

the babies she catches. But she feels strongly that breastfed babies

born with " easy births " do not need Vitamin K, and that it should not be

administered routinely to all babies.

 

 

 

Erin of Eden Essentials wrote:

 

> While this is 100% true, all 3 of my children were born at home and had

> jaundice. My aunt told me it was from breastfeeding too, but my midwife

> told me she was full of it. LOL (well, not in so many words ;-P ) She

> said breast milk is the best thing for jaundice. We don't know why my

> Babies get jaundice, since they don't get the shot at all.

>