This story was originally published by ProPublica.
For more than a decade, Joseph Mercola, DO, cautioned parents against a potentially lifesaving shot of vitamin K for their newborn babies: "Vitamin K shots are completely unnecessary for your newborn."
But now, in a break from his past warnings, Mercola is saying he no longer believes that.
ProPublica contacted Mercola recently as it was preparing an article about babies who died as a result of their parents turning down the vitamin K shot. Mercola's new point of view is just as unequivocal as his old one: "The data is clear: vitamin K saves lives," he wrote in an April article on his website 2 days after ProPublica contacted him. He added: "Based on the totality of the published evidence, I support vitamin K prophylaxis for all newborns."
He also directed parents to speak to their children's pediatricians.
