U.S. Drug-Related Infant Deaths More Than Doubled From 2018 To 2022

Between 2018 and 2022, 295 infants died from exposure to drugs or abuse by a caregiver who was impaired by drugs, and the percentage of such deaths increased by 120%. During this period, drug-involved infant deaths accounted for 1.18% of all infant deaths, nearly double the 0.64% share reported for 2015 to 2017.

The percentage of drug-involved infant deaths rose from 10.8% of infant deaths in 2018 to 24.4% in 2022. Relative to all other causes of infant mortality, the prevalence of drug-involved deaths began rising in 2019 when 16.9% of infant . . .