There were 97 infant deaths in Connecticut linked to non-natural causes between January 2019 and August 2022, according to a July 2023 report from the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate.
The report surveyed cases in which the child was less than 3 years old when they died. It found that out of the 97 cases, 85 infants who died under non-natural circumstances were younger than 12 months old.
The majority of child fatalities were investigated by the Department of Children and Families and the department substantiated neglect or abuse in 30 of the cases.
Infants who died over this time period were largely male at 63% and more than half were Black, Hispanic or both.
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Hartford had the highest number of infant deaths reported in the time period observed at 12 deaths, followed by New Haven (11), Bridgeport (8) and Waterbury (5).
The OCA also noted a significant number of infant fatalities linked to fentanyl intoxication. This cause of death in had not previously been observed in children under three, according to the agency.
Of the infant deaths the OCA observed, 8.2% were due to fentanyl ingestion.
Local
The leading factor in preventable infant death in Connecticut is asphyxiation brought upon by unsafe sleeping positions, according to the report.
This can occur when there are things in the child's proximity that could block their airways, such as a parent (in the case of co-sleeping), blankets, pillows or toys. It can also happen when children are laid to rest on their stomachs or sides, instead of their backs.
According to the report, the number of infants who have died in their sleep due to unsafe sleeping environments has not decreased over the last ten years.
Manners and causes of infant death
The report classified non-natural infant deaths into three categories: accident, homicide and undetermined.
Of the 97 deaths, 20 children died by accident, 14 by homicide and 63 deaths were classified as undetermined.
Most of the accidental infant deaths observed were due to sleeping asphyxiation. The remainder were due to motor vehicle accidents, choking, medical care complications and animal injury.
Out of the deaths that were determined to be homicides, 57% were due to fentanyl intoxication. The report noted that children can die from ingesting even a miniscule amount of the drug left, for example, on a bottle or utensil.
The rest of the infant homicide deaths were due to drowning, head injury and smothering.
All 14 of the infant homicide cases were investigated by DCF, the report found.
Deaths in which a child is found in an unsafe sleeping position also represent a majority of the cases in the undermined category. However, in these cases, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not conclusively determine that asphyxiation was the cause of death.
State agency involvement of families who experienced infant death
The OCA also collected data from state agencies to determine which services families who experienced infant loss were utilizing when the death occurred.
The agency found that 81% of children who died were on Medicaid. However, only about 50% were enrolled in the Department of Public Health's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
The WIC program seeks to provide food, health care referrals, nutrition and breastfeeding education to mothers who are on Medicaid or experiencing poverty.
DCF had open cases for 26% of the families in the study within a year of the child's death.
Out of the families who lost young children, 12 received benefits or services from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, such as home visits or affordable childcare, the report states.
In addition, about 7% of birth mothers who experienced a child death utilized Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services programs. Over 12.5% of the same group of mothers were involved with the Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division, meaning they were either involved in a family court case, going to a substance use program or on probation or bail.
Keeping kids safe
The OCA recommended that the state increase funding for early childhood support and services and expand public campaigns supporting safe sleeping habits for infants and warning about the risks of child opioid exposure.
The office also advised that caregivers and emergency responders should be trained to administer Naloxone on children in the case of an emergency.
To prevent sudden sleep-related deaths, the OCA recommends lying children on their back to sleep on a firm, flat and non-inclined surface with no obstructions.
For more information on preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health's "Safe to Sleep" page.
You can also read the full OCA report here:
