Vitamin K refusal and associated sequelae of vitamin K deficiency bleed (VKDB) in the newborn period is becoming a more common occurrence. We present six recent cases from a 4-month period in 2017 of parent refusal of vitamin K and describe the reasons for refusal and the clinical outcomes of these infants. There have been a number of case reports citing the rising incidence of VKDB and the reasons why parents refuse. However, there is a gap in the literature and clinical practice guidelines describing how a physician should approach a refusal in the hospital and in the office, and the need to report a refusal to child welfare. In addition, we describe a scenario in which the caregivers provide a religious reason for refusal of vitamin K that, to the best of our knowledge, has yet to be cited in the literature. [Pediatr Ann. 2018;47(8):e334-e338.].

Lead toxicity is the result of lead ingestion, one of the most common ingestions in the pediatric population. Nationwide and statewide efforts to recognize and curtail this epidemic have led to declining rates of toxicity. In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), lead toxicity can be an elusive diagnosis due to overlapping symptom profiles, and inconsistent follow-up with a primary care physician can make the diagnosis even more difficult. In this article, two illustrative cases of lead toxicity in patients with SCD are described. The discussion reviews the current risk factors, screening, and inpatient management of lead toxicity, as well as describing the unique and sometimes confounding presentations of lead toxicity versus sickle cell crisis. [Pediatr Ann. 2018;47(1):e36-e40.].