Vitamin K/Vitamin K Deficiency of the Newborn

Vitamin K is synthesized in the gut, and is responsible for (among many things) the clotting of blood. Compared to adult levels, all babies are born with a “deficiency” of vitamin K. This is the way ALL babies are made, and there is likely a very good reason for it. One possible reason is that because vitamin K helps cells multiply (like as the baby is forming and growing), a surplus of vitamin K might contribute to the overgrowth of cells which we have come to know as cancer. In any case, should we be supplementing a newborn’s body with an overload of any vitamin or mineral? What might the long term effects of this be?
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My Thoughts on Vitamin K

When considering the vitamin K shot for a newborn, it is wise to look at the facts and evidence out there before making a decision. I believe that this, like any standard protocol, must be questioned and understood as fully as possible by the parents.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about the AAP recommended vitamin K shot at birth.
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Gestational Diabetes

What is it?
Also called “gestational carbohydrate intolerance”, “abnormal carbohydrate metabolism” or type 3 diabetes, gestational diabetes is a transient condition that occurs and is diagnosed only during pregnancy. The word “diabetes” was used (instead of “glucose intolerance”) so that insurance companies would cover costs. GD is quite different than “true” diabetes (which comes with its own set of risks in pregnancy).
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Making An Informed Choice: GBS in Pregnancy

Group Beta Streptococcus (GBS) testing in pregnant women is pretty standard nowadays. Like a lot of routine testing, many women don’t even know why they are being tested or what exactly they are being tested for. Most women don’t realize that each and every test is also a choice. You don’t absolutely have to consent to test for GBS.

The group beta strep bacteria lives in the gut of many healthy people. It is not an STD. The bacteria, when “normally” colonized is not a problem, and there are plenty of people walking around with it that have no symptoms and never feel the worse for it.
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