Babies who are prenatally exposed to illicit drugs or alcohol are known to be at higher risk for sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). A new study by a Nemours Children's Health researcher, published in Pediatrics , shows that caregivers of prenatally exposed infants were twice as likely to be impaired at the time of death. "As the drug epidemic continues in the United States, about 8% of births are affected by prenatal exposure to illicit drugs ," explained lead author Stephanie A.
Deutsch, MD, MS, Director of the Nemours CARE (Children at Risk Evaluation) Program at Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley. "These infants face challenges from the beginning, including a higher risk of sudden unexplained death." The term SUID encompasses sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and certain other accidental causes of death.
Deutsch, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, said previous research has suggested that the higher rates of SUID in prenatally exposed infants may stem from bed sharing , or from poor decision-making in a caregiver who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. She and colleagues wanted to further understand the risk factors affecting prenatally exposed infants, hoping to educate caregivers about ways to reduce fatalities. In this study, Deutsch and colleagues examined de-identified data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's SUID and Sudden Death in the Young case registry.
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