Study by Nemours Children's Health researcher finds 1 in 4 deaths of prenatally exposed infants involved caregivers who were both impaired and bed sharing at infant's time of death, suggests tailored messages to these caregivers are critical WILMINGTON, Del. , Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 , a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, showed 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.
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