Two Democrats in Congress — Rep. Kim Schrier and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks — are pressing the CDC to act on newborn vitamin K shot refusal after reporting showed babies are dying and research found those who miss the shot face an 81-fold higher risk of late vitamin K deficiency bleeding. The letter to acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya raises direct clinical stakes for pediatric, nursery and ED teams because no federal or state agencies currently track refusal rates, bleeding cases or related deaths.

The Move

• Schrier and Alsobrooks called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to immediately address what they called a growing, preventable public health crisis tied to refusal of the routine vitamin K injection at birth.

• The lawmakers said CDC should use its surveillance tools to track vitamin K shot refusal, vitamin K deficiency bleeding and preventable deaths.

• The push followed a ProPublica investigation finding newborn deaths after families declined the shot and documenting major data gaps.

Why It Matters for Care

• Vitamin K prophylaxis has been standard since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended it for all newborns in 1961, but refusal is rising and topped 5% nationally in 2024 in a study of more than 5 million births.

• Babies who do not receive the shot are 81 times more likely to develop late vitamin K deficiency bleeding, which can include intracranial hemorrhage.

• According to CDC, 1 in 5 babies with vitamin K deficiency bleeding will die.

• For clinicians, better local and national tracking could sharpen differential diagnosis when an ill infant presents with bleeding, especially in regions or facilities with high refusal rates.

Between The Lines

• This is as much a trust and messaging problem as a surveillance problem: families are declining a non-vaccine, low-cost intervention amid broader mistrust of medical institutions and online misinformation.

• HHS said uptake has fallen as trust in health care institutions eroded during and after the COVID pandemic.

• The AAP wants not just better data but stronger public backing from HHS leadership, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose public silence critics say leaves room for confusion.

What To Watch

• Whether CDC responds with new surveillance, reporting guidance or state coordination on vitamin K refusal and bleeding cases.

• Whether HHS or Kennedy explicitly endorses the newborn shot in public messaging.

• Whether states, hospital systems or perinatal collaboratives begin tracking refusal rates themselves if federal action lags.

• Whether rising refusal rates prompt new bedside counseling tools, consent workflows or nursery policies.

Source: ProPublica