OLYMPIA, Wash. — An 18-month-old was revived with Narcan at an Olympia hospital after overdosing on their mother's fentanyl, according to court documents.
The toddler's mother was arrested on a charge of third-degree assault of a child - domestic violence and reckless endangerment. She was released on her own personal recognizance pending official charges.
Fentanyl exposure to children is a growing concern as overdose deaths among infants to 1-year-olds have quadrupled nationally within two years, according to the organization Families Against Fentanyl. The organization found fentanyl deaths among children ages 1 to 14 have increased by more than 1,400% since 2015.
Police responded to the Olympia residence after 10 a.m. on the morning of March 14 after the child's mother flagged down a passerby, saying they were unresponsive. The child's gender has not been confirmed.
The passerby's companion and medics performed CPR on the 18-month-old until they were transported to St. Peter's Hospital. The ER later told police that staff had to administer Narcan to the baby multiple times due to an opioid overdose. The child was then taken to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma, where staff confirmed the child had fentanyl in their system.
The child's mother confirmed she smoked opioids but said she kept them away from the children. After obtaining a search warrant, police found multiple pieces of tinfoil on the ground of the family's place of residence, which contain partially melted small blue pills that police recognized as fentanyl.
According to University of Washington data, fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Thurston county have increased 118% between 2019 and 2021. Opioid deaths in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties increased by 175% in that same period.
