Vitamins Archives - Illawarra Medical Centre

Why vitamin K is important for newborns

walrus — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 02:48:28 +0000

The delivery of vitamin K injections for newborns has been routine practice in Australia since the 1970s.

In recent years, however, we have seen a decline in the number of Australian parents giving their babies vitamin K at birth.

This is a concerning trend, as vitamin K helps blood to clot and is essential in preventing serious bleeding in infants, which can often result in brain damage and even death.

In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at vitamin K injections and why it is essential and effective in protecting newborns.

What is vitamin K?

Vitamin K is a nutrient that helps blood clot. Without enough vitamin K, your body cannot produce the clotting factors needed to stop bleeding.

While adults can get vitamin K from leafy greens, certain oils, and gut bacteria that produce it naturally, newborns are born with very low vitamin K levels and cannot produce enough on their own right away. This is because:

Vitamin K does not cross the placenta well during pregnancy, so babies are born with limited stores.
Breast milk contains very small amounts of vitamin K compared to formula.
Newborn intestines lack the bacteria needed to produce vitamin K on their own, and it takes weeks to months for these bacteria to establish.

As a result, newborns are at risk for Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB) – a condition where blood does not clot properly, leading to dangerous internal or external bleeding.

Why is it essential for newborns?

Babies are most vulnerable to developing VKDB in the first eight weeks of life, especially if they are born via instrumental delivery, such as forceps or vacuum extraction, or have an underlying liver disorder.

Vitamin K given at birth provides immediate protection by raising clotting factor levels quickly.

For healthy newborns, Australia’s guidelines recommend a one milligram injection at birth – usually in the thigh muscle.

There is also an oral option, which is administered via three 2mg doses at birth, at 3–5 days, and in the fourth week after birth. The final dose is not required for babies who mainly drink formula, as it contains vitamin K.

The easiest and most reliable way to give babies vitamin K is by injection. It’s important to note that the injection is NOT a vaccine; it is simply a dose of a synthetic form of vitamin K1 that begins to take effect within minutes. One injection just after birth will protect a baby for many months.

Vitamin K can also be given orally. As vitamin K is not absorbed as well when it is given by mouth and the effects don’t last as long, several oral doses are required to give enough protection.

Is it safe?

Yes. Vitamin K has been given to newborns in Australia for more than 30 years without any known problems.

Like any form of injection, there are risks. However, these are minimal and mostly temporary. They may include pain at the injection site, minor bruising or swelling, or an allergic reaction – which is extremely rare. In fact, as noted by the National Health and Medical Research Council, only one case of an allergic reaction has been reported globally since the injection was first introduced and none have ever been recorded in Australia.

Without the vitamin K shot, the risk of bleeding is up to 81 times higher.

The benefits of vitamin K for newborns far outweigh any potential risks, and include:

Immediate protection – the injection raises vitamin K levels quickly, providing full protection within hours.
Proven safety – decades of research and use show the injection is safe and well-tolerated.
Universal recommendation – endorsed by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other major health organisations worldwide.

Concerning decline in vitamin K newborn injections

In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of Australian parents giving their newborns vitamin K at birth.

Last year alone, 2,572 babies in Queensland did not receive the vitamin K injection, up from 1,005 babies who missed out in 2020.

In Tasmania, coverage dropped from 99 per cent in 2021 to 97 per cent in 2025.

While New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia don’t track or have data available, it is expected a similar pattern has been occurring across the country.

This vitamin K refusal trend has also been seen in the United States, where opt out rates have nearly doubled in the last decade, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This has led to a spike in babies bleeding to death in the US in recent years, as a direct result of vitamin K refusal.

A similar trend is being seen in Sweden, where bleeding episodes amongst infants aged 6 months or younger doubled between 2003 to 2021. A recent study noted a continued increase in the number of infants not receiving vitamin K at birth, putting more infants at a significantly higher associated risk of bleeding episodes.

Talk to your doctor

If you have any concerns or questions about vitamin K for your newborn, please speak to your doctor or midwife before giving birth.

If your newborn does not receive vitamin K at birth, you will need to watch very carefully for any symptoms of VKDB.

Please also make sure you see your doctor as soon as possible if you notice your baby has any unexplained bleeding or bruising and is over three weeks old with signs of jaundice (yellow colouring of the skin or whites of the eyes).

To make a booking at Illawarra Medical Centre to discuss any questions or concerns you may have, please contact us on (08) 9208 6400 or book online for an appointment.

For more information on this topic, visit:

Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – Vitamin K for newborns | NHMRC
Better Health Channel – Vitamin K and newborn babies | Better Health Channel
Health Direct – Vitamin K deficiency – symptoms, prevention and treatment | healthdirect
John Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Health – Why Newborns Need Vitamin K | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby – Vitamin K at birth | Pregnancy, Birth and Baby
The Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria – Tests and medicines for newborn babies | The Royal Women’s Hospital

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Health dangers of vitamin supplements

walrus — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:50:59 +0000

While many believe that vitamin supplements are a simple way to boost and improve our overall health, there are hidden health dangers to be aware of. Recent cases of vitamin b6 toxicity from supplements sold in Australia are a prime example of this.

In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at vitamin supplements and how they may not always deliver the best outcomes for our health.

What are vitamin supplements?

Vitamin, or dietary, supplements are products designed to provide nutrients that may be missing from your normal diet.

They contain concentrated vitamins, minerals or nutrients and normally come in tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid form. Common examples include vitamin C, iron, and calcium tablets, fish oil capsules, turmeric powder, and raspberry leaf tea.

Many vitamin supplements do not require a prescription and can be easily bought over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets.

Why and when are supplements used?

Most of the vitamins and minerals our bodies require come from eating a normal balanced and varied diet. However, some people may be advised to take a supplement to help counter specific vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

For example, people who:

are pregnant or breastfeeding;
are diagnosed with malnutrition and aren’t getting enough nutrition from the food they are eating;
have a health condition that prevents their body from absorbing the nutrients it needs (for example, people with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis);
are taking a medicine that affects certain dietary nutrients;
have a health condition that requires the need for a particular nutrient (e.g. people at risk of osteoporosis may need to take a calcium supplement);
have a restricted diets and aren’t getting enough nutrients through food (e.g. vegetarians and vegans); or
have a diagnosed nutritional deficiency (e.g. where a blood test shows you have a vitamin D deficiency).

What are the risks of vitamin supplements?

As with any type of medicine, vitamin supplements come with their own risks and dangers. They can have side effects or interact with other medicines, making them dangerous or less effective.

Getting too much of a particular vitamin or mineral can also lead to serious harm. When vitamins are taken as supplements, they are introduced into the body at levels that are higher than what you could obtain through your normal diet.

Some people also mistakenly believe that taking larger amounts of vitamins is better for you. However, taking more than the recommended doses can result in potential health problems. For example:

Vitamins A, B6, D, E and K – can be toxic when taken in high doses.
Too much vitamin A or E when pregnant – can cause serious harm to your baby.
Folate – can hide vitamin B12 deficiencies.
High levels of vitamin B6 – has been linked to nerve damage.
Doses of vitamin C above one gram – can cause diarrhoea.
Large doses of vitamin C – can cause nausea, abdominal cramps, headaches, fatigue, kidney stones, and interfere with your body’s ability to process other nutrients.
Excessive amounts of vitamin C – can interfere with medical tests (such as diabetes), giving a false result.
High doses of vitamin A – may cause birth defects, as well as central nervous system, liver, bone and skin disorders.
High-dose vitamin E – has been linked to higher rates of early death.
Zinc, iron, chromium and selenium – can be raised to toxic levels in the body when taken at just 5 times the recommended dietary intake.
Large intakes of fluoride (especially in childhood) – may stain or weaken teeth.
Very large doses of fish oil – can lead to decreased blood clotting.
Iron – can cause gastrointestinal upset, nausea and black bowel actions. Severe toxicity can lead to coma and even death.
Curcumin and curcumin longa (turmeric) – may cause liver injury.

Many supplements also contain additional vitamins and minerals that some people may not be aware of, so it’s important to always read the label and ingredients list carefully to know exactly what you are taking and how much of it you are consuming.

A quick look at the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) safety alerts page shows a range of health concerns to be aware of for a number of vitamin and mineral supplement products available in the Australian market.

Vitamin B6 toxicity

One of the more recent cases of serious health harms caused by vitamin toxicity in Australia has been with Vitamin B6 and its link to peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is caused by damaged to your peripheral nerves – that is, your sensory, motor, and automatic nerves.

Symptoms usually occur in the hands and feet and include:

tingling, pins and needles or electric type pains;
numbness;
areas that feel ‘hot’ or have a burning sensation;
cold areas which are difficult to warm up;
the sensation of insects crawling on your skin; and
muscle weakness, cramps or aching.

After receiving numerous reports of peripheral neuropathy in recent years, which indicated a possible link with products containing vitamin B6, the TGA undertook a review and found that:

Peripheral neuropathy can occur at doses of vitamin B6 less than 50 mg.
Peripheral neuropathy can occur when people are taking multiple products containing vitamin B6.
The risk appears to vary between people – no minimum dose, length of use or underlying risk factors were identified.

In many cases, people reported they weren’t aware they had even consumed vitamin B6, as they were taking a magnesium supplement. Others reported taking multiple products that each contained a low dose of vitamin B6, not realising the potential cumulative effect.

As a result of their review, the TGA has updated regulations, so that:

Products containing a daily dose of vitamin B6 above 10 mg now require a warning about peripheral neuropathy.
The maximum permitted daily dose of vitamin B6 in individual products has been reduced from 200 mg to 100 mg for adults, with lower daily dose limits for children, depending on their age.
From June 2027, customers will require a pharmacist’s supervision to purchase products containing more than 50mg of vitamin B6, and anything with more than 200mg will need a prescription.

How to safely take vitamin supplements

The best option for taking vitamins safely is to seek professional advice from your doctor to determine what, if any, supplements you may require for your particular health circumstances and how these may interact with any existing prescription medicines and medical treatments you are undertaking.

If you do need to take vitamin supplements, make sure you are taking them at the recommended dosage level and assess the potential benefits and risks. It’s also important to examine all ingredients listed on the product, so you can identify the exactly what you are taking, the dose being taken, and the potential for cumulative overdose from repeated ingredients in multiple products.

Vitamin and mineral supplements should only be used as a short-term measure. If you are taking supplements because you feel you may be lacking in certain vitamins and minerals, it may be better to look at changing your diet and lifestyle instead. Your doctor or a dietitian can help advise you on this.

If you do have any side effects or problems after taking dietary supplements, stop taking them immediately, report them to the TGA, and see your doctor.

For more information on this topic, visit:

ABC News (08.01.25) – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-08/vitamin-b6-toxicity-peripheral-neuropathy-health-supplements/104793006
ABC News (26.11.25) – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-26/tga-confirms-removal-of-toxic-vitamin-b6-from-shelves/106052270
Australian Prescriber – https://australianprescriber.tg.org.au/articles/the-safety-of-commonly-used-vitamins-and-minerals.html
Better Health Victoria – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-and-mineral-supplements-what-to-know
The Conversation – https://theconversation.com/vitamins-and-minerals-arent-risk-free-here-are-6-ways-they-can-cause-harm-165399
Health Direct – https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dietary-supplements
Therapeutic Goods Administration – https://www.tga.gov.au/

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