Anti vaxers: Do you give the Vit K Shot & eye drops @ birth?

amother

Red

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:23 pm

Hepatitis B I definitely refuse. But how about the vitamin K shot and the antibiotic drops they put into eyes? Are those 2 safe to decline as well?

Thanks

amother

Lime

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:24 pm

I have declined both for all my children.

But you really need to read up on both of these things to know what they're for, and if you are comfortable declining them, and what your responsibility is if you do decline. I.e. what to look out for.

amother

Khaki

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:25 pm

If you don’t understand this topic enough to make a decision for yourself maybe you should trust the scientists who make these policies and know way more than you.

amother

Red

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:45 pm

amother wrote:

I actually did read up on both. From what I gathered it seems that the shot has its risks however, some newborn do actually have a vit k deficiency and thats why it's recommended to give oral k. I'm especially concerned about boys having a bris. Did you do vitamin k orally? If so, can you share which ones you used?

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:46 pm

Well the eye ointment is for public health policy, not because scientists know better. It's to prevent complications from STDs. If you are pretty confident in your personal health, you are not risking your baby by refraining from that.

The Vitamin K is more controversial. Some people who don't vaccinate otherwise will give it, some orally, some by injection. Some still refrain. You have to research and be comfortable with your decision either way.

amother

Lime

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 10:47 pm

amother wrote:

No I read up on it and I decided not to do oral vitamin k either.

SuperWify

Mon, Oct 23 2017, 11:25 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

This. you (presumably) don’t have to worry about STDs.

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 12:58 am

I am not ANTI vax, but I am more cautious than your average pediatrician.

I gave the K shot to my baby boy, but not to my girls, although I would have if they had a rough birth. (I was uncomfortable giving oral medication without a hechsher to a newborn when there was an alternative. I gave the preservative-free version of the shot.)

Skipped the eye goop with all of my kids, never had any indication that I should give it.

mamaleh

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 1:25 am

I am NOT anti-vax (my kids got them all on the regular schedule) but I did not do vit K or eye stuff.

amother

Blue

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 4:14 am

I did not give either one. A newborn just out of the womb of a healthy mother does not require chemical injections or drops. Have you read the ingredient list? The tiny body cannot begin to eliminate that stuff, so a toxic buildup occurs. Totally unnecessary, imho.

amother

Mistyrose

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 7:31 am

Eye ointment is to prevent complications from an undiagnosed STD. TBH, I've always felt that it's important--religious as you are, you don't want to find out your husband cheated on you by your kid going blind. Of course I understood not needing to worry about it--till I found out he cheated. I was sure I didn't have to worry but clearly I was wrong. I'd advise against risking it.
Vitamin k is for clotting. I'd consider it more for a boy and not for a girl.

Ruchel

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 7:56 am

You cannot assume you are cheated on and unsafely so to boot.
If you do, you can also assume that taking the car is too risky and you should do your utmost to hardly need to take it. It's all a risk ratio in life. Not all hospitals will mention the drops.

amother

Mistyrose

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 8:33 am

Ruchel wrote:

It's routine medical practice in the US. Religous people who wait for marriage and assume their partners did the same and also assume they are not cheating think they are immune from STDs. Unfortunately, they are not. Knowing the consequences of not getting the drops, I wouldn't risk it. And that's how I felt before I knew my husband cheated on me.

Raw

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 9:57 am

I refuse the eye drops (my midwife tests for STDs in the third trimester - obviously if I tested positive I’d reconsider) but take Vit K with my boys.
I was very thankful I chose to do the Vit K as we had a complicated bris for one child with a scary amount of blood loss in the following days.

observer

Tue, Oct 24 2017, 10:01 am

Eye ointment is only necessary if the mother has specific STDs. And ob/gyns/midwives routinely test for those STD's during pregnancy, even if you may not be aware of it. If you do not have those STDs, there is no need to the eye ointment and goop up the newborn's eyes
unnecessarily, (especially when he/she is just out and in the most alert state during that first hour or so, trying to look around, etc..)

Many people turn down the eye ointment, not just anti-vaxers.