Vitamin K Deficiency Puts Infants at Risk of Developmental Delays

By Thomas Greer | December 18, 2013

Medical technology and science have improved to the point where most children are born without serious risk of death in the United States.  However, this does not mean that there are not many threats to the health of your child, including doctor error, which can lead to a serious birth injury with life-altering consequences.  Some of these threats may be hiding in a decision that a parent does not believe will have serious consequences.

Recently, The Tennessean reported on a series of emergency admissions to hospitals in Tennessee, including four babies who were admitted to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with a serious vitamin K deficiency.  This deficiency had led to bleeding in the brain in three of the infants and gastrointestinal tract bleeding in the fourth baby.  This deficiency apparently is the result of delivery room doctors and other medical personnel not administering a shot of vitamin K at birth.  This trend is so serious that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun an investigation into the cause of the omission.

Vitamin K injections have been given to infants since the early 1960s in order to prevent bleeding as a result of a vitamin K deficiency.  It is estimated that an infant who does not receive the injection is eighty times more likely to develop a bleeding disorder.  At this time, it appears that doctors are not administering the shot in circumstances where the parents refuse to consent to the injection.  The Tennessee Department of Health has partnered with the CDC to determine if there are other cases of bleeding disorders that can be traced back to the failure to administer the injection.  In the recent cases admitted to Vanderbilt, the three infants with bleeding in the brain are at great risk for developmental delays and other cognitive impairment.

A doctor is obligated to ensure that a parent has all the information necessary to make medical decisions for their children.  Despite the fact that these doctors may simply be acting in accordance with the parents’ wishes, these actions are not grounded in sound medical practice and it is the doctor’s job to ensure that the parents understand the harm that may befall their babies if they do not get the shot.  Many parents apparently have the mistaken belief that a vitamin K injection interferes with the natural childbirth process or that this is something akin to a vaccine where there might be negative side-effects from the shot.  A doctor cannot let the fear of a negative reaction stop him from doing his job of informing the parents about the error of their decision.

Informed consent is required in situations like these, but a doctor is charged with the duty to provide the parents with all relevant information and guide them to a medically-sound decision.  If this was not done and the doctor simply did not administer the shot when the parents said that they did not want it, the doctor may be liable for the harm suffered by the child.

Having a child was supposed to be a wonderful experience, full of joy and promise.  However, if your child suffered from a preventable birth injury, then you are left with questions and the devastation of managing your child’s special needs.  It requires skilled Tennessee birth injury attorneys like those at Bailey & Greer, PLLC to get the answers that you need.  We will work with you to discover the cause of the harm to your child and whether it could have been prevented but for the negligence of the doctor or other medical professionals.  Time is truly of the essence, so call us today at 901-680-9777 to sit down with our attorneys in a free and confidential consultation.

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