At least 30 babies in the US born with fetal fentanyl syndrome; know all about this condition
For those who don’t know, fetal fentanyl syndrome was first defined by geneticists at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Delaware, who studied 10 babies who had similar physical birth defects, including cleft palate, abnormally small head, droopy eyelids.
At least 30 babies in the US were born with fetal fentanyl syndrome; learn all about the condition. (Image: iStock)
Recently, at least 30 babies in the US have been born with this disease. Fetal fentanyl syndromeIt has become common to detect birth defects that are caused by fentanyl abuse, and according to a study, this is due to fentanyl abuse. For those who don’t know, the term fetal fentanyl syndrome was first coined by geneticists at Nemours Children’s. Health in Wilmington, Delaware, who studied 10 babies with similar physical birth defects, including cleft palates, abnormally small heads, drooping eyelids and underdeveloped joints. Some also had trouble feeding.
Dr. Miguel del Campo, a medical geneticist and baby An addiction specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego spoke to the media, saying, “I’ve identified 20 patients. I’m afraid it’s not a rare thing, and I’m afraid kids are not being recognized.”
Although fentanyl use during pregnancy is known to cause other problems, such as premature birth and stillbirth, not all babies exposed to fentanyl show these specific defects.
The findings suggest that babies with certain genetic vulnerabilities may be more likely to suffer from fentanyl-related birth defects. Medical professionals have called for further research and increased awareness to improve diagnosis and support for babies exposed to fentanyl.
Nemours geneticist Dr. Karen Griep and her team first identified fetal fentanyl syndrome in 10 babies last year. “This is another big piece of the puzzle,” she said, explaining the defects. The birth defects in these babies are very similar to a rare genetic condition called Smith-Lemli-Opitz. This is a rare condition that affects the way the fetus makes cholesterol.
When Griepp and a team of researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center exposed human and rat cells to fentanyl, they observed that the drug directly inhibited their ability to make cholesterol.
“This is not something people knew before, that fentanyl interferes so significantly with cholesterol metabolism,” Gripp said. “This is very important because cholesterol needs to be synthesized during fetal development.”
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