Elle M.D

Know your rights! Luckily, this Mom had an amazing Friend who knows the law and the facts. Always have an advocate with you at the Hospital. "True Story: A friend of mine just had a baby via emergency c-section and is currently still in the hospital recovering while her baby is in the NICU. This mother has been through more than any human being could ever imagine having to go through over a lifetime and is still one of the sweetest, strongest women. She chose to decline the vitamin K shot for her baby because as you can see from the package insert there are clear warnings and because the hospital she is in couldn't pressure her into changing her mind, they then called CPS on her. Yes, you read that right. CPS was called on her for declining something she has every legal right to decline and every logical reason to decline. Thankfully another friend of mine, Erin Crawford, was able to be at the hospital when the hospital social worker came in. And you know what? The hospital was scared of the facts Erin was presenting. So much so.. they brought in the head of nursing, the attending physician, and the hospital administrator to the room to discuss what she was presenting to them. After 40 minutes of talking to them, the head of nursing and the attending physician ADMITTED they had no idea the Vit K shot has a black box warning (strictest warning put on the labeling of drugs by the FDA when there is reasonable evidence of an association of a serious hazard.) The hospital lawyer ADMITTED the consent and refusal forms that are given to patients when declining said drugs do not fully inform the patient and are illegal, apologized profusely and promised to revise the forms. They then could do nothing else but promise to leave this poor mother alone.. which is great! But this shouldn't have happened to begin with and it happens ALL the time. First of all, why is CPS being called on parents for no reason other than harassment? Second of all, why didn't the doctor and nurse know that the Vit K shot, they were not only recommending but harassing a patient into giving her newborn baby, has a black box warning? Shouldn't doctors know every detail about every drug they prescribe? Thirdly, why is the hospital giving consent and refusal forms that do not adequately inform patients of the risks associated with every drug they are consenting to? Fourthly, why is the Vit K shot being given to EVERY SINGLE newborn baby when it clearly states on the package insert that it should only be given when the serious risk involved is considered justified? Edited to note: For those of you questioning whether VIT K is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly, it was confirmed by the doctors at this hospital as well as birth professionals in the comments on this post that standard practice is intramuscular."