(The Hill) – A recent publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals a rising trend of American infants not receiving vitamin K injections. This essential practice, recommended to prevent potential bleeding issues, is declining, according to the study released on Monday.

The research analyzed data from a U.S.-based electronic database, focusing on the span from January 2017 to December 2024. It uncovered that 3.92 percent of over 5 million infants did not receive the vitamin K shot. Alarmingly, the percentage increased from 2.92 percent in 2017 to 5.18 percent by 2024.

Vitamin K is crucial for newborns as they naturally have low levels at birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This vitamin plays a vital role in blood clotting, and insufficient levels could lead to dangerous bleeding complications.

Since 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics has consistently advised administering a single vitamin K injection to newborns at birth. The CDC reinforces this recommendation, highlighting that infants without the shot are at an 81-fold increased risk of severe bleeding compared to those who receive it.

The study further identified racial and ethnic disparities in vitamin K shot administration. Notably, approximately 4.3 percent of non-Hispanic White infants were not given the injection during the eight-year study period, marking the highest percentage among identified racial and ethnic categories.

The authors noted that the changes in vitamin K administration rates “may not have resulted solely” from skepticism of public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the increase in infants who did not receive a vitamin K shot began before 2020.  

The data consists of records from 403 hospitals, all of which reported at least 10 births per year from 2017-24, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.