Book Review: Vitamin K & the Newborn written by Sara Wickham

I had a difficult time choosing which one of Dr Wickhams books to read first. “In your own time” would have great information on inductions, “Group B strep explained” would be a fascinating read on a routine intervention, and “What’s right for me?” would be a great overview of the many options that couples are presented with over the course of their pregnancy.  In the end it was a facebook post on vitamin K by a local women’s health clinic that made my decision. One of the commenters recommended the book as a good source of information and I have to say I agree.

I found “Vitamin K and the newborn” an informative read.  Dr Wickam states that her motivation for writing this book is “in the hope of helping parents to become more informed and able to make the decisions that are right for them,” and I believe that she has done this in an unbiased way (although, of course, I am reading the book through the lens of my own beliefs and perceptions).  One of the aspects of this book that I find very refreshing is that Dr Wickham readily admits when there isn’t the research to give a definitive answer to questions on the topic but she then often offers theories on possible answers.

The book itself is small, perfect for tucking into a handbag ready for an opportunity to read and is well presented.  The simple cover artwork of rolling hills and with a mountain in the background is easy on the eye and it’s only on closer inspection that I noticed the three pathways through the hills symbolising the options that parents have in regards to vitamin k and symbolises a theme that I believe runs though all of Sarah’s books.. that there is not one right path for everyone.

The information is divided into five sections:

1. Exploring the decision…I found this to be the section with the most dense amount of information.  Dr Wickham looks at what is vitamin K, why it’s needed by the body and discusses, in depth, what Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is.She then goes into a discussion on the research into prophylactic vitamin K supplementation, the limitations of the research, the questions answered and what questions remain.  The following pages discuss the range of options available to parents in regards to supplementation and encourages parents to decide what is right for their individual baby.  To accept or decline? To give oral vit k or intramuscular injection?  To give at the standard time or later?  To seek alternative ways of supplementation or do nothing? To become educated on the signs and symptoms of VKDB or not.

2. The bigger questions… when I starting reading this chapter I wondered what questions could be bigger than what the book had already discussed.The first question Dr Wickham disscusses is a doozy.  Why are newborns naturally low in vit? Is there “a flaw in the blueprint”?  She then goes on to point out that the common statement of “all babies have a low level [of vitamin K]” isn’t even analysed in the literature.  The fact that babies have low levels of vitamin K in relation to adult levels is seen as a problem to be corrected when the other differences, Dr Wickham uses the example that babies have a much larger head in relation to thier bodies than adults, are seen as normal.  The section continues to discuss a variety of theories to explain why babies appear to be designed to have low vitamin K and while “nature has not got it wrong but, for reasons we don’t fully understand, there is a low level of margin of safety in this area.”  Other questions discussed are “why health professionals say different things?” “Are there low levels of vitamin K in breast milk?” and “why can professional/parental communication be so fraught?”

3. A por pourri of FAQs  This section covers questions that remain after Dr Wickham’s thorough discussion of Vitamin K supplementation.These questions have been sent into Dr Wickham by parents, midwives, doctors, and birth workers.

4. Parents experiences… During her research on vitamin K Dr Wickham noted a lack of parental opinion and experiences and as she feels it “vital to include parents stories and voices” she includes a number of stories that have been shared with her by both parents and midwives.She has “tried to ensure that [she] share[s] stories from different perspective, and that each one has something useful to teach or to enable reader to think about”.

5. Signposting the roads less traveled… This section summarises the three main pathways that parents can take in regards to vitamin K (bringing back to my mind the imagery in the cover art) each pathway starts with “talk with your care provider” but acknowledges that not all care providers feel the same way about vitamin K, which I feel is paramount when navigating birth and early parenting. If you discuss your opinions and instincts with the people caring for you I feel that you are much more likely to be listened to and understood.The sections ends with what I feel is one of the most important parts of the book “things to watch for” which outlines the risks of and the signs and symptoms of VKDB

On the whole I found this book to be a fascinating and very informative read.  Dr Wickam has the experience nessesary to take the information present in the research and frames it in such a way that parents and birth professionals can understand.  Encouraging parents to make the right decision for them and providing birth professionals with the ability to understand why parents may make a decision that we may not agree with.

This book is available in Australia in hard copy and for e-readers though online booksellers.  Unfortunately it was not something I could get at my local bookstore.  If your not able to buy the actual book there is still a lot of information freely available on Dr Wickam’s website which I also highly recommend reading.

Is this book a must read for all pregnant couples?  If your already questioning the need for your baby to have routine administration of vitamin k then I’d say yes. This book will explain the research and options available to you.

It gets 5 stars from me!