# Declining Vit K shot & eye goop at birth in Mass?



## chlobo (Jan 24, 2004)

So I was at the hospital yesterday & was reading over the birth brochure. It talked about the newborn stuff & when it mentioned Vit K & eye goop is specifically said its mandated in Massachusetts. Can they really force it on us? Or is there a way around?

I know with the Hep B we told them the ped. would be doing it at the followup appt & they were fine with that (at least at the hosp. where DD was born).


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Moving to birth and beyond since this is primarily about Vit K and eye goop


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## Nan'sMom (May 23, 2005)

I don't know the law in MA, but in NY I think you pretty much have to have it in a hospital birth. As far as I know, you can decline it, but they can call CPS, who can force you to do it. Vit K and eye goop are what first got me seriously considering homebirthing (which I went on do do for both pregnancies and births).


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## AugustLia23 (Mar 18, 2004)

I have seen it successfully declined at hospitals in MA. As with anywhere else, let them know you DO NOT consent to it, and let them know over and again.

What hospital are you planning to birth at?


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## woodchick (Jan 5, 2007)

I delivered at a MA hospital last year. Our nurse went through a checklist and we were free to decline any of them... It was no big deal.


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## kiwiva (Apr 17, 2006)

There's info here on declining it in MA
http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/massachusetts.htm

Also, don't let your baby out of your reach. When DD went to the nursery DH was right there the whole time, that way they couldn't give hep B by mistake or anything.

I found a written birth plan very helpful. At my hospital everyone did read it and asked me questions so it was helpful.


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## Oceanjones (Mar 11, 2007)

I'm in PA and it is the "LAW" here to get Vit K and the eye goop but I insisted that it NOT be given to my baby. I was on the table having my c-s stitched up and the pediatrician came over to start arguing with me about it. She even came to my room while I was visiting with a friend to apologise for bothering me in the OR but stayed and still kept arguing for it. She was nice about it but I felt totally harassed







: He didn't get either one.


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## chlobo (Jan 24, 2004)

I am supposed to deliver at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA.


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## jessjgh1 (Nov 4, 2004)

From talking to others, its pretty easy to decline Hep B and the eye at most places.... but Vit K can be a bit harder, be prepared for the pedi to give you a hard time.

I wish I had some advice, but I'm going to be dealing with that situation any day now (hopefully soon!)

Jessica


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## srbushey (Sep 27, 2006)

my hospital gave me no qualms about hep b, vit k or eye goop. but my ped gave me some grief about my decision not to vax so I'm still mustering the courage to take dd back. she hasn't gone since before her 2 month and she's almost 4 now. i'll have to post elsewhere about what ppl's experience is with not going to the ped all the time.


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## jessjgh1 (Nov 4, 2004)

The hospital had a waiver all set. Left the advisement section blank, since they did NOT advise me on it.

The pedi gave me a little guilt trip, but left it at that.

He had his stats wrong, tried to say that 1/100 newborns are at risk for the condition.... I figured he was hearing him wrong, and asked him a 2nd time, and just said, "gee that seems very high from everythign I had read".

But at that point I figured, if he got that wrong, what else is he bs'ing about?

Tried calling everything I read 'opinion pieces', tried to be dismissive because I didn't read all research/studies (I told him I had looked at several, just had not had time to read the entire thing myself), and said that there was no risk for cancer... which technically, it had not been proved or disproved.

Tried to say it was like not putting a baby in a carseat, and what a shame when 'good' parents are scared into making this kind of decision.

Gee... good thing I felt so darn strong after this birth and just shook hands and agreed to disagree... but he was rather dismissive.

So, as far as I know that was that... but at this hospital they are USED to and support parent chioce and a lot of declines on procedure. The pedi DID make a note on my daughter's physical form so that the pediatrician knew we declined vit k.... and wanted me to see the pedi asap...

At least he concentrated on that and didn't bother me about anything else.

Jessica


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## monocyte (Jun 17, 2004)

this as I seem to be running into some "issues"...

Did anyone bring paperwork/refusals with them to the hospital?

Our pedi supports our decisions, but, she doesn't have rights at the hospital we are giving birth...and I'd rather not get her in the middle of it either.


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## YummyYumYumMama (May 19, 2007)

I'm birthing at Newton Wellesley with the MWs from Women's Health Associates in Wellesley. At the "meet the midwives" night they very clearly said that if you don't want the Vit K shot or Hep B or eye ointment you can just say "no" and they won't do it... no paperwork or anything.


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## milknsheep (May 24, 2005)

I delivered in Wareham at Tobey Hospital and had no problem declining stuff...just signed a waiver at the birth.


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## Ackray (Feb 11, 2004)

I work at a MA hospital in OB and we don't have any written refusal forms for the eyes or vit K. When people decline them, it's no big deal, we just write that they declined them in the nursing notes. The hep B has a declination form. It's completely not a big deal at all where I work if you don't want these things. But I know they make a bigger deal about them at the bigger hospitals.

You should be fine at Emerson telling them that you DON'T want any of it. Put it in your birth plan so it's written out and not a last minute decision (to them). I used to work at Tobey (about a million years ago) and they weren't strict about the eye goop, vit K, or hep B either. Big hospitals like BI and BW are much more difficult to deal with when declining stuff like this.


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## Pollywog (Apr 12, 2006)

None of the moms I have worked with have had any trouble when refusing the eye goop or HepB. Not as certain on Vit K but I don't think it has been an issue either. My experience is that they are often asked more than once about it but never in an aggressive way, more in a "just want to confirm that you said this" way.


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## Chic_Mama (Jun 26, 2007)

It is "mandatory" in WA also, so we just had to sign a form. Ultimately you are the parent and it is your final say on what is administered to your child. We don't yet live in Nazi America, thankfully! The only thing is that if you decide to not give to Vit. K shot and you have a boy, you want to be sure you don't circ. (if you plan on it) until after the 8th day so the baby would have developed his own blood clotting abilities.


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## OhMeOhMy (Apr 2, 2004)

Another "declined" in MA here. I made sure to put it in ym birth plans and I repeated it over and over. It got to the point where they were like "We KNOW, DON'T do it!" LOL. No one made a fuss, but one nurse did ask why. Once I answered, she was all good.


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## *guest (Oct 7, 2005)

I declined all but the vitamin K (c-section, they nicked her head, and she was pretty mushed around







: ). A nurse said "oh you can't decline the eye ointment without a court order," so I said "please call me a judge then," very nicely. And then the on-call pediatrician said "eh don't worry about it, it's fine." I was not expecting to be in the hospital at all, but rather at home with midwives, so this was very last minute but still not a problem. This was in Lowell. With the Hep B shot, I said "Oh, I'll get it later with our ped." Whatever they want to hear!


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## Kerlowyn (Mar 15, 2002)

Another MA decline here too...I had 2 babies at Mt Auburn in Cambridge. Refused everything, no hassel at all!







:


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## AKmoose (Jul 25, 2003)

Just like lots of those "required" things (PKU tests, Vit K, Erythromycin, vaccinations), you as the patient and/or parent can ALWAYS refuse. Hospital policy says you have to have an IV? So what - they can't force it. YOU have the right to refuse anything. Sadly, how much energy must be expended refusing and fighting while you're laboring and/or enjoying your new baby?

just say no


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## grumpyshoegirl (Mar 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *srbushey* 
my hospital gave me no qualms about hep b, vit k or eye goop. but my ped gave me some grief about my decision not to vax so I'm still mustering the courage to take dd back. she hasn't gone since before her 2 month and she's almost 4 now. i'll have to post elsewhere about what ppl's experience is with not going to the ped all the time.

May I suggest looking for another pedi in that case? Our pedi pulled the same crap with us and while I usually think of it that she "fired" us for not vaxing on schedule, the truth is she only THREATENED to fire us at the two-month. What she really wanted to do was schedule an appointment where my husband and I would meet with her in her office and she would tell us what bad parents we were for not going along with the program. I scheduled the four-month in the office that day and then canceled it when we got home and found another doctor. Best decision I made!


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## Nate'sMama (Jul 21, 2007)

I labored at Cambridge Birth Center and delivered at Cambridge Hospital. I declined all no problems whatsoever.
Maybe I remember a form for the hep b, but no hassle.
I think if you state it and don't ask it - it's much easier.


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