Missourinet: 'Alarming' Rise in Drug, Sleep-related Deaths Among Missouri Children
By Alisa Nelson
A statewide report says in 2022, Missouri had an increase in sleep-related infant suffocation and fentanyl-related deaths among children.
The annual report says in 2022, the deaths of 43 children were linked to fentanyl or fentanyl mixed with other drugs. Of those, 20 were between the ages of 15 and 17, while 20 were under age 5. The overall number of fentanyl related child deaths nearly doubled, with deaths for children under age 5 increasing by more than 500%.
“As children become mobile and enter a phase of development where they are explorers of their environments it is especially important for caregivers to make sure that all medications and substances are locked up and out of reach,” said Dr. Terra Frazier, associate program director, Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Program at Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Chair of the State Child Abuse and Neglect Review Panel. “Many caregivers underestimate what children will find and put in their mouth.”
Read the full article via Missourinet