US national trends in pediatric deaths from prescription and illicit opioids, 1999-2016

Key Points

Question  How have US mortality rates for pediatric opioid poisonings changed over the past 2 decades?

Findings  In this cross-sectional study, 8986 children and adolescents died between 1999 and 2016 from prescription and illicit opioid poisonings. During this time, the mortality rate increased 268.2%.

Meaning  Pediatric-specific and family-centered interventions are needed to address pediatric opioid poisonings, a growing public health problem in the United States.