Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient that helps our bodies make blood clots. We need blot clots to stop bleeding. Vitamin K is important for keeping bones healthy too.

Adults and older children get vitamin K from food such as green, leafy vegetables, meat, dairy and eggs. The healthy bacteria in our intestines, which make up our microbiome, also produce some vitamin K.

Babies, though, have very little vitamin K in their bodies at birth. This puts them at risk for bleeding. Fortunately, it’s easy to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding with a vitamin K shot. The injection is given in your baby’s thigh within 6 hours of birth.

Giving vitamin K by mouth does NOT result in sufficient vitamin K levels, so unfortunately has not been shown to prevent vitamin K deficient bleeding.

Learn more about why vitamin K is so important: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/delivery-beyond/Pages/Where-We-Stand-Administration-of-Vitamin-K.aspx