Overdoses, firearms, suicides among leading causes of child deaths in Kentucky

Overdose deaths among children in Kentucky are highest since 2019, according to the state’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel.

Last year, eight children four years old and younger died from drug overdoses in Kentucky.

Trends in overdose rates show opiates like fentanyl are the most common substances in overdoses, cannabis and THC containing products follow closely, along with methadone, according to a 2023 report by the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel under the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Child fatality panel chair Ben Harrision presented the data to lawmakers in an interim meeting on Thursday.

“We've seen a substantial increase in cannabis or THC containing products resulting in a near fatal or even fatal event in children. And you necessarily wouldn't think that involving cannabis or THC,” he said.

The committee pointed to an American Academy of Pediatrics study that showed cannabis has potential for acute toxicity that leads to hospitalizations. However, the study did not find any deaths from THC toxicity.

Harrison said the majority of the overdoses were unintentional ingestions, which are potentially preventable with proper storage.

Preventative recommendations from the panel included the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure providing proper training to medical marijuana prescribers, and a health department-led public service campaign targeting retailers to provide information on safe storage of THC-containing products, and safe sleep practices.

Cases of physical abuse reported are the highest since 2018. Of the physical abuse cases reviewed by the panel, 70% were suspected to be caused by the child's biological parents, Harrison said.

In almost half of the cases, the panel found prior history of court involvement, and recommended wider implementation of family recovery courts across Kentucky.

“This assists families who are involved with the child welfare system due to substance abuse disorder, and offers phases of treatment, substance use treatment, parenting, education, and family therapy, individual therapy and life skills training,” Harrison said.

The panel found a history of financial issues, mental health issues, domestic violence, criminal history and substance abuse occurred at a higher rate in those with prior court cases.

Seven children died from firearm-related injuries in 2022 in Kentucky. That’s down slightly from the year before. Four were child suicides and three were homicides.

“Unsafe storage practices were noted in 83% of all firearm cases reviewed by the panel,” he said.

Eleven children suffered from near fatal firearm-related injuries, which Harrison noted “are often left with lifelong and devastating injuries.”

In Kentucky, there's no law that requires unattended guns to be stored in a particular way. There’s also no law that holds people criminally liable if minors gain access to a firearm.

Youth suicides in Kentucky stood at 29 in 2022, the highest since 2018. Prevention strategies are usually developed by professionals trained by the American Association of Suicidology.

But that could change — the state’s Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities said they weren’t the appropriate agency and offered to assess best practices in other states to develop an implementation proposal for suicide prevention.

State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.