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A recent study conducted by Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine has revealed a troubling rise in drug-related infant deaths in the United States between 2018 and 2022. The research, published in the Journal of Perinatal Medicine, indicates that these tragic incidents more than doubled during the study period.
Key Findings and Trends
The term “infant deaths” refers to fatalities occurring between birth and one year of age. The study defines “drug-involved deaths” as those where drugs were either the primary cause or a contributing factor. This includes deaths resulting from maternal drug use, accidental ingestion of medications, and non-medical or illicit drug use.
From 2018 to 2022, the proportion of drug-involved infant deaths in the U.S. surged by 120%, escalating from 10.8% in 2018 to 24.4% in 2022. The most significant increase occurred between 2019 (16.9%) and 2022, with 2021 seeing the highest percentage at 25.8%. Overall, drug-involved deaths became increasingly prevalent relative to other causes of infant mortality after 2019.
Postnatal Period and Causes
The research highlighted that a majority (81.4%) of drug-involved infant deaths occurred in the postnatal period, between 28 and 364 days of age. This contrasts starkly with the 34.6% of deaths from all other causes during the same period. Leading causes of drug-related infant deaths included assault by drugs (35.6%), poisoning from narcotics and hallucinogens (15.6%), and accidental poisoning by sedatives, antiepileptics, and other psychotropic drugs (10.8%). Psychostimulants and synthetic narcotics were often involved in these multiple-cause deaths.
Demographic Disparities
The study also uncovered significant demographic disparities. A higher proportion of drug-related infant deaths were among infants born to non-Hispanic white mothers (60.4%) and non-Hispanic Black mothers (28.5%). Additionally, male infants were more frequently affected (56.5%) compared to female infants (43.7%), a statistically significant difference.
Public Health Implications
Dr. Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, the study’s corresponding author and chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU, emphasized the need for multifaceted clinical and public health interventions. “Addressing the social determinants of health, enhancing access to addiction treatment, and implementing culturally sensitive interventions may be important to prevent infant deaths in vulnerable populations,” Kitsantas said. The study also noted the necessity of focusing on drug-related assaults and various forms of poisoning for clinical and public health interventions.
Impact of COVID-19
The period between 2018 and 2022 saw drug-involved infant deaths account for 1.18% of all infant deaths, up from 0.64% between 2015 and 2017. This spike coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated issues such as reduced access to prenatal care and the emergence of healthcare deserts, especially in rural areas. These factors likely contributed to the rise in drug-related infant deaths, although further research is needed.
Call to Action
Dr. Maria C. Mejia, the study’s senior author, stressed the urgency of addressing this issue. “Drug-involved deaths in infants represent a potentially avoidable cause that should be considered in efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States,” Mejia stated. She called for collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community partners to focus on preventing and treating maternal substance use disorders, enhancing access to prenatal care, and addressing broader social and behavioral risk factors.
Study Details
The researchers utilized data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database, focusing on the period from 2018 to 2022. This timeframe was chosen to provide a comparison between pre-COVID-19 and the most recent available data. The study analyzed infant deaths by year, underlying and multiple causes of death, age at the time of death, gender, and maternal race/ethnicity.
Contributors
The study was co-authored by Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.PH, first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and senior academic advisor; Sebastian Densley and Meera Rao, FAU medical students; Lea Sacca, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine; and Robert S. Levine, M.D., affiliate professor of medicine, all from FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine.
As the alarming rise in drug-related infant deaths continues to pose a significant public health challenge, this study underscores the critical need for targeted interventions and comprehensive strategies to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
