Potential Link Between Prenatal Fentanyl Exposure and Birth Defects Identified

Researchers suspect fentanyl may disrupt cholesterol metabolism during pregnancy, leading to a range of physical defects in newborns.

Researchers have identified a potential link between prenatal fentanyl exposure and a range of birth defects in newborns, including cleft palate, unusually small heads and bodies, drooping eyelids, upturned noses, undersized lower jaws, and feet pointing down and inward.
Geneticists have ruled out a genetic cause for these defects, with the common factor among the affected babies being maternal use of street drugs, particularly fentanyl.
The researchers suspect that fentanyl may be disrupting cholesterol metabolism during pregnancy, which is essential for normal cell function and brain development.
Although the findings are concerning, researchers stress that more studies are needed to confirm the link and to rule out other potential causes, such as other street drugs or contaminants in the fentanyl supply.
Fentanyl, whether or not it is causing these birth defects, has led to a significant increase in overdose deaths, with the powerful opioid painkiller suspected to have caused 70,601 overdose deaths in 2021.