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Child-welfare officials warn committee of rise in infant deaths linked to unsafe sleep and caregiver substance use, including cannabis
Summary
Oregon Department of Human Services child welfare officials told the Senate committee that critical-incident reviews show an increase in infant deaths where high-risk sleep practices and suspected caregiver substance use, including cannabis, were present. Officials urged expanded prevention, prenatal education and cross-system coordination.
Oregon Department of Human Services child-welfare officials told the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health that a recent rise in infant-related critical incident review cases has included incidents where high-risk sleep practices and concerns about caregiver substance use, including cannabis, were documented.
Lacey Andresen, deputy director for the ODHS Child Welfare division, described the critical incident review team (CERT) process as a statutorily mandated quality-improvement review for child fatalities believed to result from abuse or neglect when the child is known to the department. "The purpose is to review together the critical incident as well as any case history that we may have with the family, and we're…
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