We prove a ``positive'' Jantzen sum formula for the Specht modules of the cyclotomic Hecke algebras of type~$A$. That is, in the Grothendieck group, we show that the sum of the pieces of the Jantzen filtration is equal to an explicit non-negative linear combination of modules $E^ν_{f,e}$, which are modular reductions of simple modules for closely connected Hecke algebras in characteristic zero. The coefficient of $E^ν_{f,e}$ in the sum formula is determined by the graded decomposition numbers in characteristic zero, which are known, and the characteristic of the field. As a consequence we see that the decomposition numbers of a cyclotomic Hecke algebra at an $e$th root of unity in characteristic $p$ depend on the decomposition numbers of related cyclotomic Hecke algebras at $ep^r$th roots of unity in characteristic zero, for $r\ge0$.