AAP: Opioid Poisonings Increasing Among Young Children
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Sept. 27, 2024 -- Opioid poisonings are increasing among children, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 in Orlando, Florida.
Maria Quidgley-Martin, M.D., from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and colleagues described the demographic, clinical, and social characteristics of children with opioid poisoning evaluated for child maltreatment in a retrospective cohort study. Children who received a Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team consultation for opioid exposure between June 2012 and December 2023 were analyzed.
Sixty-nine consults for opioid ingestions were identified, with a fourfold increase from 2019 to 2023. The researchers found that 72 percent of the patients were younger than 2 years, and a notable proportion were non-Hispanic Black (11-fold increase from 2019 to 2023). The most common opioid was fentanyl. Most cases (87 percent) occurred in the patient's home or the residence of a relative. Altered mental status, abnormal breathing, and seizures were the most common symptoms reported. Eleven patients presented in cardiac arrest (nine aged younger than 2 years); on presentation, 71 percent had respiratory arrest or depression. Four children died due to fentanyl poisoning; all were aged younger than 2 years. About half of the patients' families (52 percent) had prior Child Protective Services involvement. In 65 percent of cases, there was a family history of opioid abuse.
"Children are the overlooked tragic victims of the United States' opioid epidemic, and fentanyl is now the greatest danger," Quidgley-Martin said in a statement. "We need our first responders to always consider administering naloxone to unconscious pediatric patients in case they have unknowingly been exposed."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Cannabis Use Disorder May Up Risk of Benign Salivary Gland Tumors
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with increased risk of benign salivary gland tumors, according to a research letter published online July 17 in...
Few Discontinuation Symptoms Reported After Stopping Antidepressants
THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Most individuals do not go through severe withdrawal after discontinuing antidepressants, according to a study published online July 9 in JAMA...
Disparities Exist in Outpatient Referrals for Opioid Use Disorder
MONDAY, July 7, 2025 -- Black patients presenting to the emergency department for an opioid overdose are less likely to receive outpatient referrals for opioid use disorder (OUD)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.