Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
    • Supplements
    • Publish Supplement
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • My Cart
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
    • Supplements
    • Publish Supplement
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers

Discover Pediatric Collections on COVID-19 and Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health

American Academy of Pediatrics
Ethics Rounds

Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding?

Melissa Weddle, Allison Empey, Eric Crossen, Aaron Green, Joy Green and Carrie A. Phillipi
Pediatrics October 2015, 136 (4) 753-757; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-2293
Melissa Weddle
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Allison Empey
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Eric Crossen
bDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California; and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Aaron Green
cVancouver, Washington
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Joy Green
cVancouver, Washington
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Carrie A. Phillipi
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF

Abstract

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all newborns receive a single dose of intramuscular vitamin K to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding. How should the clinician respond when parents decline vitamin K? Although vitamin K deficiency bleeding can have devastating sequelae, they are uncommon; therefore, parents are generally allowed to decline vitamin K after counseling is provided. When parents ask for a vitamin K preparation of unproven effectiveness, should the clinician honor that request? To address these questions, we present a case of a healthy newborn whose parents declined intramuscular vitamin K and requested an oral preparation. Two general pediatricians discuss the medical and ethical issues these situations pose, and the parents describe their experience.

  • Accepted January 2, 2015.
  • Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Individual Login

Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

Institutional Login

via Institution

You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

Log in through your institution

If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.

Offer Reprints

PreviousNext
Back to top

Advertising Disclaimer »

In this issue

Pediatrics
Vol. 136, Issue 4
1 Oct 2015
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
View this article with LENS
PreviousNext
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding?
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Request Permissions
Article Alerts
Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Citation Tools
Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding?
Melissa Weddle, Allison Empey, Eric Crossen, Aaron Green, Joy Green, Carrie A. Phillipi
Pediatrics Oct 2015, 136 (4) 753-757; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-2293

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding?
Melissa Weddle, Allison Empey, Eric Crossen, Aaron Green, Joy Green, Carrie A. Phillipi
Pediatrics Oct 2015, 136 (4) 753-757; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-2293
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Print
Download PDF
Insight Alerts
  • Table of Contents

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • The Case
    • Aaron and Joy Green, parents of Evan Green, comment:
    • Questions to Consider
    • Carrie Phillipi, MD, PhD, Comments:
    • Melissa Weddle, MD, MPH, Comments:
    • Aaron and Joy Green Comment:
    • John D. Lantos, MD, Comments:
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Refusal of Intramuscular Vitamin K by Parents of Newborns: A Review
  • Oral Vitamin K Prophylaxis in Newborns: A Survey of Clinician Opinions and Practices
  • Vitamin Excess and Deficiency
  • Current Scope of Practice for Newborn Care in Non-Intensive Hospital Settings
  • Why do parents decline newborn intramuscular vitamin K prophylaxis?
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Presymptomatic Detection and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Can Parents Restrict Access to Their Adolescent’s Voice?: Deciding About a Tracheostomy
  • What Should an Intern Do When She Disagrees With the Attending?
Show more Ethics Rounds

Similar Articles

Subjects

  • Fetus/Newborn Infant
    • Fetus/Newborn Infant
  • Ethics/Bioethics
    • Ethics/Bioethics
  • Journal Info
  • Editorial Board
  • Editorial Policies
  • Overview
  • Licensing Information
  • Authors/Reviewers
  • Author Guidelines
  • Submit My Manuscript
  • Open Access
  • Reviewer Guidelines
  • Librarians
  • Institutional Subscriptions
  • Usage Stats
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
  • Media Kit
  • About
  • International Access
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • AAP.org
  • shopAAP
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
  • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
  • RSS
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics