Vitamin K
In a Nutshell
All babies are naturally born with low levels of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a vitamin directly related to blood clotting. Without enough vitamin K, bleeding can occur. With too much vitamin K, blood clots can occur; we need a happy medium. Because babies are naturally born with low vitamin K levels, it is common practice to give all newborns a shot of vitamin K within a few hours after birth. Not only are babies low in vitamin K, but breast milk is naturally low in vitamin K, too.
Dig Deeper
What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K1 is found in leafy greens and some other vegetables, like brussel sprouts and cabbage. Vitamin K2 can be obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs and it is also produced by the good gut flora in our digestive tract.
Vitamin K helps our blood to clot. Although we are all born with clotting factors, vitamin K helps to “activate” these factors. Without vitamin K, we may just keep bleeding if an injury occurs or spontaneously bleed from delicate blood vessels.
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Give Vitamin K Shot