Fatal double aortic arch anomaly and maternal cocaine abuse

We report a case of 2 months old female (born to a cocaine abuser mother) having respiratory dysfunction attributed to pneumonia. Autopsy, following a sudden, unexpected death, revealed a double aortic arch which was compressing the trachea and the esophagus. Health care professionals should conduct a detailed cardiac assessment on all cocaine-exposed infants at the time of birth and during infancy. Double aortic arch should be considered as a possible complication of intrauterine cocaine exposure and may present as sudden death.