Did any of you refuse.... - *Didn't know where to post this?*

MyLuvBugs wrote: So, did any of you refuse the Vitamin K shot and the antibiotic ointment in the babies eyes at birth? if so....why?

I've been thinking about refusing the ointment only b/c I'm already going to be hooked up to anitbiotics during labor b/c of my heart murmur. But then again I don't know how fast that will get into baby's system to protect her. KWIM? And the vitamin K thing....I'm just not sure about it. It's for blood clotting right? But why? I guess we just need to do more research.

ZandersMama replied: Didn't realize you COULD refuse it. I just assume that if they do something in the hospital it's because they need it

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I would consider the ointment in the eyes, but not the vitamin K. I let Logan have both, and I would do so again. But if you want to refuse one or the other, then I'd go for the ointment. The vitamin K shot helps blood clot. They give it because often baby's livers aren't ready to produce the clotting factors necessary right after birth. It often prevents oozing from the umbilical stump.

PrairieMom replied:
It depends on your deffination of NEED. You ALWAYS have the right to refuse treatments or therapy. The question is, are you informed enough to know if it should be refused?
I work in a hospital and I see Dr's order things that aren't indicated (Needed) all the time. esp. in pediatrics.

gr33n3y3z replied:
I refused the IV with every birth
well the first one the Dr said let me start one just incase bc it was my first
But the other 3 no IV's at all

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: We did both, but we did refuse the PKU in the hospital for Wil. He had it a few days later at the peds office, but it just goes to show you can refuse anything really. It's your choice as a parent. Wil was so jaundiced and was pricked so many times in the foot, that I just couldn't let them prick him one more time for a vax, so we waited.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I think there is an alternitive to the poke in the foot for the Vit K ~ I think its a cream but I don't remember. My sister got it for her son 3 years ago.

redchief replied: The very little of the ointment in the eyes will enter baby's system. We're talking miniscule amounts. The antibiotic is to kill bacterium topically. There are not a lot of blood vessels in the eyes, and the capilaries that are there are tiny. Not much of anything will be transfered into your baby's system

I'm not real crazy about vitamin K injections though, especially in cases where mom is BF. I just don't think this is necessary. That's JMO.

redchief replied: I wanted to add that I think it's awesome that you all ask so many questions and aren't instantly compliant with what you're told is "normal" or mandated. When we were having our children we didn't even think to ask.

mamasbigbaby replied:
Me too....

Cece00 replied: No, we didnt refuse. I knew I had the right but they arent HARMFUL to the baby, and they are helpful, if anything, so why would I refuse? So, no.

redchief replied:
Actually there is a lot of question about whether vitamin K injections are necessary, and whether indeed it can be harmful. A 1990 study showed a connection between increased risk for childhood cancer and injected K. Vitamin K assists in clot factors and newborns don't start processing Vitamin K from a BF diet for a few weeks. Moms who breastfeed first produce colostrum (I"m sure I don't have to go into all of this, but... I am what I am). Colostrum has little or no Vitamin K in it. Baby formula DOES have vitamin K in it, though health officials feel that an oral dose of Vitamin K shortly after birth is a good thing.

The shot, according to some pediatricians and some other concerned groups is over the daily recommended intake of vitamin K, especially in BF babies. The harm that this could do isn't really known and hasn't been well studied. The vitamin K deficiency was noted back in the 1960's and was tied to rare neonatal bleeding. This bleeding occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births and many result in death of the infant. The study also concluded that almost all of the incidents of death were in BF babies.

Armed with those facts, it would seem that the safest course would be oral vitamin K, which did not show the increased incidence of childhood cancer. That's what our children had, and I would definitely allow an oral dose of K. Sorry I was so obscure in my previous post. That is unlike me, normally. I was interrupted at home during that post. Sorry.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
we tried to refuse it... but they told us that if the baby didn't have it after 24 hours, that we needed to come back within 3 days for it. We were also told that if we didn't show up, that they would call CPS on us.

kimberley replied: i refused the ointment but okayed the vit k. the midwife did her darndest to convince me to do both but it was my decision and i felt it was unnecessary.
i didn't know that about the vit k, Ed. learn something new everyday here.

Rocky, they wouldn't let me leave the freakin hospital either until the PKU prick was done and boy did that nurse butcher Jade's foot . so i got smart and had the next one at home lol.

ashtonsmama replied:
We had an original birth plan, and stayed with most of it, even though A was early...but for sure there are some things that are hospital protocol, but other things are mother's choice, IMO.

3_call_me_mama replied: We're skipping vitamin K and the eye goop this time. UNLESS there is some sort of major trauma at teh borth where the baby's blood would need to clot. I've doen a ton of research on Vit K and also after talking with several people and dr's foudn that it actually can attribute to babies getting jaundice. Or having that jaundice appearence. There is a liquid form that is available if you ask for it in most hospitals. (Which we asked for in case of trauma where teh baby would be bleeding excessively) ALso the risks of increased childhood cancer that Ed was discussing. We're really bad when it comes to the hospital, we refuse most things and tell them how things are going to be for our children's births. They are really good, and actually like that we stand up for our and our children's rights. They were shocked at first when i came in with a birthpaln all laid out very specifically for Cameron and kathleen. They followed it as close as they could, and some things never even came up. We intend to do teh same with this one. If it wasnt' for the fact that ins won't pay $3000 for a homebirth but will pay $25000 for a hospital birth, we;d be having this one at home! (I can't get DH to agree to spending $$ out of pocket when it's free otherwise!) OH WELL!

MyLuvBugs replied:
Well...personally I'm not really worried about the the ointment, I just think it's over-kill for this baby especially if I'll be on IV antibiotics during labor/delivery. KWIM? I just think that a new born doesn't need a double dose, but then again Lorelei did and she's fine.

Ya know. I've realized that most first time moms are more compliant with Dr.'s when it comes to stuff like this. I know I was anyway. NOTHING on our birth plan was followed, and we didn't know how things worked, so we just went with what they told us. Little did we know!! But Lorelei is healthy, so I shouldn't complain.

From what I've found about Vit. K so long as a BF mom eats plenty of leafy green veggies, she'll have plenty of Vit K transferring to the kiddo. There are Vit K deficiencies that require the shot or oral med. Or liver disorders that would require it right away, but a normal healthy baby.....well, it doesn't seem necessary from what I've found in the last day of research. And the CANCER thing....well, that's just scary.

We found out on Monday that our hospital is now automatically giving newborns the Hep B vaccine. Which I personally think is dumb, but whatever. We'll just add that to our list of things to refuse. LOL I'm sure they're just going to LOVE us when we have this kid.

redplaydoh replied: We asked about the Vit A when Lucas was born, hoping to go with the oral dose vs. injectable... we were told that the digestive systems of babies are not developed enough to absorb the oral dose properly... and we HAD to get the injection or be reported to the state. So we let them do it.. but we did refuse the Hep B vaccine until he was a few months old.

3_call_me_mama replied:
Unfortunately you were lied to and basically scared into what they wanted. If they could not digset oral vitamin K they would not be able ot digest formula. (since it has vit k in it and is far more complex than straight vit k.)
They cannot report you to teh state for refusing things. Vaccinations, medication or otherwise. It irks me when Dr's and other officials do this sor tof thing

OH and Erika.. just tell them that you prefer to wait until teh baby's check up with teh Dr to discuss it's first shots. That way you don't have to give them at eh hospital adn you cna give them when and if you choose. (I think I remembe ryou saying you vaccinate) So at least this way you can be more comfportable when they are given adn the baby has a chance to get use to teh vorld without all teh extra stuff pu tin it right away.
Who ever said being a paretn was easy was WRONG!

holley79 replied: I didn't refuse either one of them.