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Vitamin K is often called the forgotten vitamin because many people focus on supplementing with vitamin C and D. Vitamin K is actually three forms of one vitamin, each with a slightly different function. Vitamins K1 and K2 are obtained through plantfoods such as leafy green vegetables and are also made by the friendly bacteria inside the human gastrointestinal system. Vitamin K3 is a manmade, synthetic substitute. K3 is the form found in a vitamin K injection.

Vitamin K helps the blood coagulate or clot. But according to Dr. Joseph Mercola M.D., a well known holistic health proponent, vitamin K is also important for preventing heart disease and building strong bones.

Babies are born with very low levels of vitamin K. Over subsequent weeks and months, the level of vitamin K naturally rises in newborn babies. Babies fed on breast milk show a slow, steady increase. Babies fed formula get more than enough vitamin K, since the formula is supplemented with high amounts of this vitamin.

A routine practice at most conventional hospitals is to give newborn infants an injection of vitamin K shortly after birth. According to Healthy Child, a very rare condition occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 babies in which several days or weeks after birth, the brain begins to bleed. This bleeding causes permanent brain damage. To prevent this, all babies are given vitamin K now as a routine preventative. Doctors have no way of knowing or testing to see which babies among the thousands born every year will develop this condition, so every baby is given an injection as a safeguard to prevent it.

Research cited on both Dr. Mercola's website and Healthy Child explain that there's a slight correlation between injections of vitamin K and the rise in childhood leukemia rates, but the correlation isn't clear or definite. While a baby is developing in the womb, cell division occurs rapidly. After birth, this same fast cell division continues for many weeks to enable a child to grow quickly. It's thought that injections of vitamin K may somehow increase this rate of cell division, leading to leukemia, a form of cancer.

A safer form of vitamin K supplementation is an oral or liquid vitamin K drop. These can be administered by parents or at the hospital. After the child comes home from the hospital, breast fed infants may be given a few drops or liquid vitamin K during the first few weeks, too.

Vitamin K oral drops are available without a prescription. They have not been approved by the FDA as a drug, but are available as a nutrition supplement at health stores nationwide.

Should you allow your child to have this injection? Talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have about these routine injections. Remember, the research showing links between vitamin K shots and childhood leukemia are slim and inconclusive. Consult with your obstetrician or physician if you have any concerns, and ask about using oral supplements for newborns instead of injections if you're concerned.