Jamiesfeast – The risk of drug overdoses among Kentucky’s youngest children remains a pressing concern, as both the number of fatalities and the potency of the drugs ingested continue to rise.
According to the recently published annual report by the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, a total of eight children lost their lives due to drug ingestion, while an additional 47 children experienced drug overdoses during the fiscal year 2022.
Most of the individuals who experienced an overdose, as stated in the report, were aged 4 or younger.
In contrast, the panel reported that five years ago, only one child lost their life out of the 32 overdose cases it reviewed.
The report only captures a small portion of child overdoses in Kentucky as it focuses solely on cases where there is suspicion of abuse or neglect leading to the death or near-death of a child.
According to the report, emergency department data reveals that in 2022, a total of 721 children in Kentucky were treated in hospital emergency rooms due to drug ingestion. Out of these cases, 72 children required hospitalization.
Dr. Melissa Currie, a forensic pediatrician and founding member of the panel, expressed her deep concern for cases like these.
“I truly believe that ingestions pose a significant problem, and it is escalating at a rapid pace,” expressed Currie, a distinguished professor of medicine at Norton Children’s Hospital and the University of Louisville medical school. “It is imperative that we enhance parental awareness regarding the inherent dangers associated with this issue.”
According to the report, the greatest risk lies in drug use within the home.
According to the report, children who reside in households where the caregiver is involved in the consumption of illicit or hazardous substances face a greater likelihood of unintentional ingestion. The report also highlights the potential danger of children accidentally ingesting medications used for treating opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine.
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Children are consuming a variety of drugs, including opioids, fentanyl, medications for treating opioid use disorder, and, to a growing extent, cannabis or THC-containing products.
In many instances, these cases involve a combination of drugs.
The report highlighted a tragic incident involving a 19-month-old child. The child tested positive for fentanyl and morphine after succumbing to death. What makes this case even more distressing is that an adult had previously overdosed in the same home just two months prior. Both parents admitted to using heroin, and two other children residing in the house also tested positive for fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid.
According to the report, two children tragically lost their lives after consuming cannabis products.
According to Currie, many people are unaware of the potential dangers associated with even legal hemp-derived products like gummies.
According to her, the virus still has the potential to land children in the ICU.
The majority of deaths or injuries can be prevented.
Established in 2012, the independent panel of experts, consisting of physicians, judges, lawyers, police, legislators, and social service and health professionals, was formed with the purpose of conducting thorough examinations of child fatalities and severe injuries resulting from abuse or neglect. Regular meetings are held throughout the year to carefully analyze these cases.
The committee is responsible for creating a yearly report that outlines its findings to the governor, lawmakers, and other officials. The report includes recommendations on how to enhance conditions for children in a state that has consistently had a high rate of child abuse and neglect.
State Senator Danny Carroll, a Republican from Paducah and a member of the panel, mentioned that he has not yet had a chance to thoroughly review the final report. However, his spokesperson noted that Carroll, along with the General Assembly, typically takes the report’s findings into consideration when shaping public policy.
The 2024 report analyzed cases from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. It delved into a total of 202 cases, revealing that 68 children tragically lost their lives, while 134 others sustained life-threatening injuries.
The majority of deaths were a result of neglect, with 10 cases attributed to physical abuse.
According to the study, a staggering 90% of the deaths and injuries could have been avoided if proper precautions were taken. These precautions include securely storing medications and firearms.
The panel focused on various areas this year, including drug overdoses, physical abuse, neglect, firearm deaths (including suicide), and the role of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in responding to reports of child abuse and neglect.
Child deaths and injuries often share common factors that contribute to their occurrence. These factors include household financial stress, mental illness, family violence, and addiction.
According to the report, the panel’s scope is limited to cases involving neglect or abuse in the death or near death of a child in Kentucky. As a result, the data only represents a small portion of child overdose/ingestion cases in the state. In 2022, Kentucky hospital emergency rooms treated a total of 721 children who had ingested drugs, out of which 72 required hospitalization. These figures are based on data from emergency department records.
These are the main findings and recommendations:
Overdose and ingestion cases
Cases involving overdose and ingestion are serious and require immediate medical attention. If someone has accidentally ingested a harmful substance or has intentionally taken an excessive amount of medication or drugs, it is crucial to seek help as soon as possible. In these situations, time is of the essence, and prompt action can potentially save a life. Medical professionals should be contacted immediately in order to provide appropriate treatment and mitigate any potential harm.
The panel suggests that in order to address the increasing number of cases in recent years, there should be an improvement in the education provided to professionals who are involved in medication assisted treatment for adults with addiction.
In the cases of child ingestion that the panel examined, it was found that 37% of the caregivers were undergoing treatment, which included medication, for opioid misuse.
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure should offer additional continuing education opportunities to doctors regarding opioid ingestion in children, according to the report.
The report also suggests that medical marijuana providers should receive training. In 2023, the Kentucky General Assembly approved the use of medical marijuana for specific severe conditions. However, it is important to note that the law will not come into effect until 2025.
The importance of public education on safe-sleep practices and the risks associated with a child sleeping with an impaired adult cannot be emphasized enough.
According to the report, consuming alcohol and drugs, including prescribed medications, can hinder our capacity to take care of a child. As a result, practices like bed-sharing and other unsafe sleep habits become even more perilous.
Despite the federal requirement, Kentucky, along with most states, has not fully implemented a system for which responsibility is clearly defined.
Access to firearms remains a significant risk factor for children, as highlighted in the report.
The report also takes into consideration child suicides, highlighting the tragic case of a 14-year-old boy who had access to unsecured firearms at home and took his own life.
The panel examined seven instances of suicide in the year 2022, with five cases resulting in death — four of which involved the use of firearms — and two cases where the child survived with serious injuries. On average, the children involved in these tragic events were 13 years old.
Regrettably, according to the panel reports, the cases it examined represented only a fraction of the total number of youth suicide deaths in Kentucky in 2022. During that year, a heartbreaking 29 children under the age of 18 tragically lost their lives to suicide.
According to the report, the panel categorized these incidents as “access to deadly means” cases that could have been avoided with proper prevention measures. It revealed that in numerous instances, parents had explicitly instructed their children not to touch firearms or believed that they had concealed the weapon effectively.
According to Currie, she acknowledges that firearms legislation can be a contentious topic, but she firmly believes that child safety should not be compromised in any way.
“It shouldn’t even be a matter of debate,” she remarked. “This is something that we should all be able to unanimously agree upon.”