HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Vitamin K & your baby
We all need vitamin K to help our blood clot properly. Because a newborn baby has a lower level of vitamin K in their body, they can occasionally get a bleeding problem called vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). The way to stop this happening is to give the baby some extra vitamin K.
After birth you'll be asked if you want your baby to have vitamin K to reduce the chances of them getting VKDB. They can either have it by mouth or as an injection.
The links below give more information about vitamin K and why it's offered to newborn babies.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Canterbury District Health Board – Vitamin K and your baby
Information about Vitamin K and Vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
- KidsHealth - Vitamin K
Information about Vitamin K and babies, including why babies have low levels of Vitamin K.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed February 2022.
SourcesReview key: HIENB-439053
