Prenatal Substance Exposure Plays Role in Sleep-Related Sudden Infant Death
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 19, 2024 -- Sleep environment characteristics and social drivers of poor health and family vulnerability differ for sleep-related sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) in infants prenatally substance-exposed versus nonexposed infants, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in Pediatrics.
Stephanie Anne Deutsch, M.D., from Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Delaware, and colleagues examined SUID with sleep-related deaths between 2015 and 2020 among infants who were prenatally substance-exposed versus nonexposed using the Sudden Death in the Young Registry.
The researchers found that 14 percent of the 2,010 infants who experienced sleep-related deaths were prenatally exposed. More than half of deaths involved an adult bed or surface sharing with an adult (52 and 53 percent, respectively). Disproportionate impairment was seen for supervisors of prenatally exposed infants versus nonexposed infants (34 versus 16 percent). Prenatal exposure history was significantly associated with vulnerability factors (insurance, child welfare involvement, intimate partner violence, health care barriers).
"Disproportionate sleep environment hazards (surface sharing, supervisor impairment) identified among prenatally exposed infants should compel targeted, population-specific prevention efforts, including safe sleep messaging, discouragement of surface sharing, and engagement of support persons during caregiver impairment periods," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
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 November 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...
Specific Antiseizure Medications Associated With Major Malformations in Infants
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- Maternal use of valproate, phenobarbital, and topiramate early in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for major malformations in infants...
ENDO: Guidelines Developed for Pregnancy Care in Preexisting Diabetes
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- In a joint clinical practice guideline issued by the Endocrine Society and European Society of Endocrinology, recommendations are presented for pregnancy...
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.