State officials are warning of two alarming trends in the deaths of Missouri children: increasing numbers of infants suffocated during sleep, and children accidentally poisoned by fentanyl.
The findings from 2022 were released this week in the annual compiled by the Missouri Department of Social Services.
In total, about 1,000 children under the age of 18 died in Missouri last year. The program’s report covers data on 476 child fatalities in which the cause of death was unclear or suspicious, or due to injury, homicide or suicide.
A total of 241 children died from unintentional injuries in 2022, the highest number since 2002, the report found. Another 80 children were homicide victims, and 42 died by suicide.
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Accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed was the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths — 79 — up from 62 in 2021. It surpassed vehicle crashes, which caused 77 deaths.
“We recognize that parenting an infant can be stressful and overwhelming,†said DSS Director Robert Knodell. “Parents are often looking for any way they can to soothe their child, however, it is imperative they understand that not following the ABCs of safe sleep is dangerous and can be potentially fatal for their child.â€
ABCs of safe sleep stand for alone, back and crib. Babies should be placed on their backs with nothing else in the crib except for a fitted sheet. The crib should not contain any toys, blankets, bumper pads or pillows, experts say. More information can be found online at .
Most of these deaths occurred among infants who were sleeping in an adult bed and sharing the bed with an adult or another child, data shows. Deaths also occurred while sleeping with others on a sofa, chair or an air mattress.
Accidental suffocation can happen from soft bedding such as blankets or pillows, or when a pet, adult or other child sleeping with the infant either rolls over on or entraps the infant with an arm or leg.
Challenges to safe sleep practices, the report found, include poor advice from relatives or other parents, advertisements selling items in cribs and uninformed caregivers.
The ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Department of Public Health provides expectant parents information about safe sleep practices and free portable cribs as part of its Nurse Family Partnership program, where public health nurses visit homes and support families navigating pregnancy and early parenthood.
“Many clients often state that they had not heard of safe sleep prior to our discussion, so I love that I get the opportunity to provide education on a topic that is not always commonly discussed,†said nurse Justine Fleming.
In addition, state officials pointed to a concerning trend in deaths from poisonings, which passed drownings to become the next leading cause of unintentional deaths after sleep-related suffocation and vehicle crashes.
A total of 43 Missouri children died from unintentional poisonings in 2022, a jump from 20 the year prior and 15 in 2020.
The illicit opioid fentanyl, which has become the , was a culprit.
Seventeen of those children were under the age of 5, and 10 of them died from ingesting fentanyl or fentanyl with other drugs. Twenty-four were teens, 21 of which involved fentanyl.
The overall number of fentanyl-related child deaths nearly doubled from last year, data shows.
, who directs the Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Program at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said it’s important for caregivers to make sure dangerous substances are locked up and out of reach.
“Many caregivers underestimate what children will find and put in their mouth,†Frazier said. “With many poisons, help can be sought once it is known that an ingestion occurred. However, fentanyl is so potent and dangerous for young children that by the time a caregiver realizes what has happened, it may be too late.â€
Seek medical care immediately if a child may have been exposed and be honest with providers, she said. Keep on hand, which is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
The state Child Fatality Review Program is organizing a fentanyl subcommittee to further study the deaths and make recommendations on how they can be prevented, DSS officials said.
If concerned about an exposure to poison, the Missouri Poison Center provides free help 24 hours a day online at or by calling 1-800-222-1222.