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Maternal Substance Use Disorders and Accidental Drug Poisonings in Children

Nathalie Auger1, Nicholas Chadi2, Nancy Low3

  • 1Health Innovation and Evaluation Hub, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bureau d'information et d'études en santé des populations, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|November 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Maternal substance use disorders before birth significantly increase a child's risk of accidental drug poisoning. This highlights the need for early intervention and support for mothers with substance use disorders to protect young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric toxicology
  • Public health
  • Maternal and child health

Background:

  • Accidental drug poisonings in children are a significant public health concern.
  • The association between maternal substance use disorders and child poisoning risk is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal substance use disorders before childbirth and the risk of accidental drug poisonings in young children.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal cohort analysis of over 1 million children in Quebec, Canada (2006-2020).
  • Examined maternal substance use disorders as the primary exposure.
  • Assessed hospitalization for drug poisonings (opioids, cannabis, sedatives, etc.) before age 5 as the outcome.
  • Utilized adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios.

Main Results:

  • Children of mothers with substance use disorders had a 2.28 times higher risk of drug poisoning hospitalization before age 5.
  • Maternal opioid use disorders showed a particularly strong association (HR=4.16).
  • The risk was elevated for poisonings involving opioids, cannabis, and sedatives/hypnotics, especially between ages 1 and 2.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal substance use disorders identified before childbirth are potential indicators of increased future risk for accidental drug poisonings in young children.
  • Findings underscore the importance of addressing maternal substance use to mitigate child poisoning risks.
Abstract

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