Substance-Exposed Infants and Children: Forensic Approach

Infants and children exposed to illicit substances can be harmed directly by hazards in their home environment and indirectly by related issues of poor supervision and interpersonal violence among their caregivers. These children will present to health care providers with clinical symptoms that can be obvious or subtle. This article address the recognition and response to substance-exposed infants and children by reviewing the definition of a substance-exposed infant or child, differences in screening vs confirmatory drug testing modalities, and responses to consider once an infant or child is recognized as substance exposed.