Characteristics of Fatal Poisonings Among Infants and Young Children in the United States 

Pediatrics

Child death reviews present an opportunity to improve understanding of fatal poisonings. This study employed the National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS), a national standardized reporting tool, to describe the demographics of childhood deaths by poisoning, identify associated factors, and characterize those deaths attributable to opioids. Opioids were the most common substance (47.3%) contributing to death in young children, followed by OTC pain, cold, and allergy medications (14.8%). There was a substantial rise in these opioid-involved deaths over time, from 24.1% of the substances contributing to deaths in 2005 compared with 52.2% in 2018, illustrating the impact of the opioid epidemic on young children. Opportunities for naloxone education are paramount.

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