More parents are refusing routine newborn preventative care, study finds

A new study documents that more parents are declining routine preventative care for newborns, according to research findings. The trend reflects growing skepticism toward medical recommendations, driven by anti-science sentiment and distrust in healthcare institutions, physicians say. Doctors worry this hesitancy—traditionally associated with vaccine refusal—is now spreading to other established, evidence-based newborn treatments and screenings. The shift could leave infants vulnerable to preventable diseases and conditions that are typically caught and managed through standard pediatric protocols. The findings underscore a broader challenge facing medicine: regaining parental confidence in foundational health interventions.