Rethinking the role of out-of-home care in addressing prenatal drug exposure among children

Lawler et al’s 2025 study, ‘Association between out-of-home care and mortality in children with prenatal drug exposure: a retrospective population-based cohort study, investigates the relationship between out-of-home care (OOHC) and mortality among children experiencing prenatal drug exposure (PDE)’.1 Leveraging a comprehensive, population-based cohort using linked administrative data, the researchers analysed health and social service records to compare mortality between children placed in OOHC with those remaining in their usual homes.