Many parents are shying away from giving their newborns vitamin K shots, according to a recent study.

Babies are born with very little vitamin K, and the only way to sufficiently supplement it is through an injection soon after birth. This growing trend to avoid the shots, which are given to prevent internal bleeding in the brain and intestines, can result in dire consequences for newborns.

"Newborns have been receiving vitamin K booster injections since 1961 to prevent internal bleeding," DeeAnne Jackson, medical director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a statement. "These injections are necessary because babies have very low levels of vitamin K at birth, which can lead to serious bleeding problems if not supplemented. It is an essential nutrient babies need to assist the body in blood clot formation."

Many caregivers believe the vitamin K shot avoidance trend may be an extension of those who do not want their child to have any vaccines. Recent incidents where children did not receive vitamin K shots have heightened awareness in caregivers to further explain to parents the need for the supplement.

In 2013, a Nashville hospital saw several cases of vitamin K deficiency bleeding in succession -- incidents directly related to newborns' not receiving their vitamin K shot. In the seven cases of vitamin K deficiency encountered in an eight-month period, five of the infants had gastrointestinal or brain bleeding, which can lead to permanent damage or even death.

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention further investigated, it found that 28 percent of parents with babies born at private birthing centers in Nashville had refused the shot.

Jackson encourages parents who are concerned about vitamin K shots or any vaccines their children should receive after birth to talk to their physicians and pediatricians.