Vitamin K and the Newborn

by Sara Wickham

What is Vitamin K? Why is it offered to all newborn babies? Does my baby need it? Should we agree to an injection, oral supplements or decide to do neither? Are there alternatives? Can we postpone the decision? Are some babies more at risk, and why? Vitamin K has been routinely recommended for newborn babies for several decades, and many parents are happy for their child to be given this. But others want more information, have questions about why this intervention is offered or want to know whether there are downsides. This book guides the reader on a journey through the information, debate and research on this topic. It explains the issues and clarifies the different perspectives, drawing upon up-to-date midwifery and medical evidence and opinion and parents’ stories. Dr Sara Wickham is a midwife, educator and researcher who has been writing and lecturing about vitamin K for more than twenty years. She is the author or editor of fifteen books, has edited three midwifery journals and provides in-person and online educational and consultancy services for midwifery, medical and health-related practitioners and organisations around the world.

Genres: Science, Health

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2017

Reviews

[Kim Osterholzer]

One of the things I love and appreciate most about Dr. Sara Wickham besides her wonderfully warm heart is the way she’s able to probe, deconstruct, decipher, and translate the abstruse data and directives that swirl around the childbearing family and their care providers---empowering us to ask our questions and think things through from a variety of perspectives.

Sara does this for us with excellence in her illuminating book, Vitamin K and the Newborn.

In Vitamin K and the Newborn, Sara provides the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the subject and its many facets--- examining the terminology assigned to the issue and the ways that terminology may inadvertently influence our views, reviewing what is known about the topic and what is actually yet unknown, and scrutinizing the matter’s full spectrum of weighty concerns.

Sara makes the refreshing way her mind works clear when she says,

“…as our knowledge grows and moves on, we need to be open to continually reshaping what we THINK we know. Part of the problem is we’re always looking for clear-cut, black-and-white, all-or-nothing answers... it’s relatively easy to scare women and families into making a decision by emphasizing risk and giving ‘fear-based’ information. It’s harder to strike a balance where one is honest without being unnecessarily scary and to take a compassionate and gentle approach to communicating information without glossing over the enormity of some of the possible outcomes… there is a substantial difference between seeking to ensure that parents are fully informed but respecting that their decision may be different from ours and trying to bully people into making the decision that someone else thinks is the right one…”

Thank you, Sara, for this wonderful resource! It's always such a pleasure to learn and grow with you ♥

[Bonnie]

Really grateful for this book. Highly recommend.

[Luke Piazza]

The whole book is literally just pussyfooting around the subject. Honestly what was even the point of writing this book.

[Katie A]

Such a well written, informative and balanced book to help educate around the role of vitamin K. I read when pregnant to help me decided what I wanted to choose for my baby. I found Sara’s book gave me the evidence (or lack of) for both sides of the argument and didn’t push me to one answer but helped me come to my own conclusions.

I felt more informed than some of the midwives and health professionals I subsequently spoke to and think this book should be on the reading list for all trainee midwives.

[Kristy]

Clear and concise given the overwhelming gaps of research that currently exist on the topic.

For anyone struggling to make a decision whether or not to give their newborn Vitamin K, I highly recommend reading this book.

Dr. Wickham makes great points and considers all sides.

[Kelsey Shugart]

This little book about Vit K has become one of my top 10 favorite books. Not just because it has useful information but because how refreshing it was to read a book promoting critical thinking rather than trying to convince the reader of a certain bias.

I've talked to people of have strong opinions for giving their child Vitamin K and for not giving their child Vitamin K. I feel like this book dismantled both bias perspectives and opened the way for me to think objectively. Wickham does not say whether or not parents should give their child Vitamin K, rather looks at multiple opinions and analyzes the credibility of each opinion.

It's true, each parent must consider what the opinions are for their child and make the decision that is best for them and their child, the decision that THEY know to be right.

I also appreciate Wickham's thoughts on doctors, midwifes, and people being more objective when discussing Vitamin K research. There is often an, "I know it all and I'm right" mentally that gets in the way of clear communication. More learning can happen on all fronts when we are honest with what we really know and what we are assuming we know.

Great book. Recommend to all!

[Lauma Llamandra]

A great read on the subject and has a lot of useful information on the background and current state of research as well as the reasons behind the current standard procedures.
Unfortunately left me with more questions than answers - not the fault of the author but more so the clarity of the information available on the subject.

[Emily Kyes]

I felt like this was a pretty good review of the data available at the time. It seemed unbiased and well researched. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since it’s been published and the author has passed so I want to find a more up to date resource like this. But it was a quick and easy read so that’s helpful.

[Hillary]

It is short but provides a lot of good and unbiased information. I feel like she represents all sides well. You won't feel like you're being told to do one thing or another when you finish reading but you'll be armed with enough info to make an informed decision. I only wish she had gone more in depth in some areas, but that's just because I enjoy getting more in depth.

[Kotryna]

It will not give you answer to the decision whether to give vitamin k to your newborn, but it will give you all the data, existing research and information to make the decision that is right for you and your baby.
Niche topic, but I am really glad I read it. The book was lent to me by my midwife.

[Marissa]

Such a helpful resource for making an important decision about your baby. Dr. Wickham does an excellent job of showing both perspectives and urging you to make your own informed decision, whatever that may be. Highly recommend!

[Seyly Reynolds]

Everything you want to know about vitamin K is right here in this book. Sara Wickham is so intelligent and was intent on not being one-sided throughout her writing. I love that she also shares parents' pov in this book. I highlighted so much.

[Amber-Mae Fairclough]

A great read, another really well written book by Sara. Gives a variety of opinions along with the facts and the limitations of our knowledge. Sara has done a really good job of presenting the current literature in a clear way for both people with and without a medical background.

[Allie Brown]

Well written with tons of info. She stays unbiased and includes perspectives of both sides of the argument. It’s scary how little we know about treatments and long term effects. Just praying I’ll have the right instinct on what to do here.

[Mar Beveridge]

Some of the content was superfluous for my needs but it answered what I needed to know. Hard to know how biased it was but certainly pointed at a lot of studies which was reassuring.