Parents Refusing Routine Preventive Care for Newborns

Sunday, March 22, 2026

AP: One day at an Idaho hospital, half the newborns Dr. Tom Patterson saw didn't get the vitamin K shots that have been given to babies for decades to prevent potentially deadly bleeding.

Posted by Dbt2 at 09:32 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink

It's not just vaccines -- parents are refusing other routine preventive care for newborns

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-- Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune.com) Mar 21, 2026 at 11:43 AM

Comments

Stupid Parents Refusing Routine Preventive Care for Newborns

FTFY

#1 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-03-22 01:24 PM

At some point, the government needs to be smarter than the populace.

It's why there are laws against inbreeding; it certainly wasn't the cousins' idea.

#2 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-03-22 01:34 PM

"Stupid Parents Refusing Routine Preventive Care for Newborns"

alternate:

Stupid Parents Endangering Our Kids

#3 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-03-22 01:36 PM

Laws have been passed to allow doctors to refuse care based on moral grounds. When will pediatricians and obstetricians start refusing care to these parents because they are endangering their children.
The trend has started with some clinics refusing care for those that are not vaccinated by choice.

#4 | Posted by mattm at 2026-03-22 06:11 PM

I'm going to start an anti-traffic-lights movement, since they infringe on my choice to keep driving my monster truck

#5 | Posted by hamburglar at 2026-03-22 09:50 PM

This isn't even rights. It's willful anti-intelligence from stupid people who will drive their and their children's points into their graves, all while blaming the government and thanking God.

#6 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-03-23 09:31 AM

This "anti-intelligence" and "stupid parents" talk.......it's as if you're starting to notice fat people raising fat kids and how insanely they have been "endangering" their kids.

We been blaming doctors, pharma, processed food and fast food industries for that problem.

And it's fair to a point.....they are deliberately trying to fatten up your kid with all that ----.

But parents seem to get a pass on all of that. they're victims of sorts......

But not here, by God. We're gonna call them out on this.

LOL

#7 | Posted by eberly at 2026-03-23 10:23 AM

"If you're very, very stupid, how can you possibly realize that you're very, very stupid? You'd have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you really are. This explains almost the entirety of Fox News." (and the gop) "

John Cleese

#8 | Posted by SomebodyElse at 2026-03-23 11:57 AM

But parents seem to get a pass on all of that. they're victims of sorts......
But not here, by God. We're gonna call them out on this.
LOL

#7 | Posted by eberly

You're in Walmart. You see three fat kids munching on Cheetos trailing behind a woman who needs two seats for her ass, and you think people are blaming this situation solely on the food industry or economics?

Are you kidding?

#9 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-03-23 12:09 PM

No, I'm not kidding. 100% of the time when the subject of healthcare and health insurance and how accessible and affordable (or lack thereof) it is......that's where everyone deflects to when it's pointed out why our health outcomes are so poor compared to most other nations. Those fat asses are victimized completely.

#10 | Posted by eberly at 2026-03-23 12:25 PM

But not here, by God. We're gonna call them out on this.
LOL
#7 | Posted by eberly

So you're saying:
Better never than late.

Yeah.
You're a Republican all right.

#11 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-03-23 12:31 PM

Getting your kids a needed shot every couple years.
Maybe twenty five shots from birth to age 18.
vs.
Getting your kids a nutritious meal three times a day every day from birth to age 18.
Maybe fifteen thousand meals from birth to 18.

I don't have any kids, so I'll defer to your expertise:
Those two things, two dozen shots on one hand, fifteen thousand meals on the other.
Those are roughly equal in terms of time and money when it comes to raising a child, right?

#12 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-03-23 12:42 PM

The trend has started with some clinics refusing care for those that are not vaccinated by choice.

#4 | Posted by mattm

The sad part about this is that it's just a double whammy for the kids paying the price for their parent's ignorant stupidity.

My preferred response is these parents become criminally and or civilly liable for predictable outcomes of their ignorant stupidity.

Their measles infected kid passes it on? Liable for any damages or death to the family/children who contract it from them.

Their little too precious to be vaccinated spawn spread chicken pox? The parents should be liable for lost wages when parents are forced to stay home to care for their sick children.

Pass a preventable disease on to an immune compromised person? On the hook for every cent of every medical bill that results from that person's care.

Freedom comes with responsibility and responsibility means dealing with the consequences of one's actions.

#13 | Posted by jpw at 2026-03-23 12:45 PM

Darwinism in action.

#14 | Posted by bat4255 at 2026-03-23 01:35 PM

"Darwinism in action."

That also works as two words:

Darwinism inaction.

#15 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-03-23 01:37 PM

Anti vaxxers are victims of their own stupidity.

May their children all die off from easily preventable diseases.

God Bless.

#16 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-03-23 02:24 PM

Pretty ------- funny that as soon as an anti-vaxxer brain worm -------- is put in charge of
....oh look, VACCINES, stories like this show up. So of course Beverly deflects to fat kids. ------- pathetic.

#17 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-03-23 11:53 PM

@#10 ... the subject of healthcare and health insurance and how accessible and affordable (or lack thereof) ...

I was recently referred to a specialist by my primary care physician.

The Specialist's office called me to schedule the appointment.

I politely told the polite gentleman on the phone to not schedule the appointment. he said, "OK."

Why did I choose to cancel?

A couple of reasons...

For starters, I did not see the need for that referral.

That aside... the health-care in this area is controlled by a major private equity group. So, do PCPs refer patients to specialists to generate revenue or for the benefit of the patients? Is there a kick-back when a PCP does that referral?

Stated differently, my once high-esteem I had held for the medical care in this area has diminished greatly, as private equity moved in and took over the health-care for their own profit.

Now, when I walk into an area medical facility, I feel more like a revenue prospect, and less like a patient.

#18 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-03-24 12:19 AM

It is still illegal to receive payment (kickback) for any referrals.
lawsoup.org

#19 | Posted by mattm at 2026-03-24 11:12 AM

#13 | Posted by jpw at 2026-03-23 12:45 PM | Reply | Flag:

A 2025 study pointed out that adverse reactions to prescription medications killed around 250,000 people.

When our government holds these pharmaceutical companies accountable for every dollar of loss, I might be inclined to go along with your #13. Until then, people should have a choice..

#20 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-03-24 02:39 PM

nobody questions those referrals. Not private health insurance nor medicare.

They just assume it was justified. Technically, they can make the argument the referral was justified and appropriate.

It's no different in how prescriptions have worked for decades.

#21 | Posted by eberly at 2026-03-24 03:35 PM

It is still illegal to receive payment (kickback) for any referrals.
lawsoup.org
#19 | Posted by mattm

What's not illegal is referring a patient to e.g. an imaging facility you have a financial interest in.

So you can openly, legally, refer people to your own business, and you don't have to mention your financial interest.

But no kickbacks.

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-03-24 04:02 PM

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