Kids' Deadly Unintentional Injuries Drop 30%

Fewer children died from unintentional injuries between 2000 and 2009, but death rates from suffocation and poisoning increased, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall death rate from unintentional injuries among children dropped by nearly 30% during the 10-year period, according to an analysis of national mortality data. There were 9,143 childhood deaths from unintentional injuries in 2009, down from 12,441 in 2000. Yet, that’s about one child death per hour caused by unintentional injury, whether it’s a traffic crash, drowning, poisoning, or fire.

CDC/Amanda Mills

"One child’s death is still one too many," said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., principal deputy director at CDC, in a news conference. "We know most of these events are predictable and preventable."

Traffic crashes were the leading cause of death among children and adolescents (4,564 deaths), followed by suffocation (1,160), drowning (983), poisoning (824), fire/burn (391), and falls (151), according to the report.

Despite a drop in most of the mechanisms, the authors noted the increase in poisoning and suffocation death rates.

There was a 91% increase in poisoning death rate among adolescents aged 15-19 years over the 10-year period. The authors attributed the rise to prescription drug overdoses. Painkillers seem to be replacing marijuana as a gateway drug, said Dr. Arias.

"Strategies to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs include appropriate prescribing, proper storage and disposal, discouraging medication sharing, and state-based prescription drug monitoring programs," the report’s authors wrote (MMWR 2012;61:1-7).

Also, unintentional infant suffocation rates increased 54% between 2000 and 2009. The increase "underscores the importance of safe sleeping environments as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes supine positioning, a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and avoiding loose bedding," the investigators noted.

There was nearly a 41% decrease in deaths from traffic crashes during the 10-year-period, which could be due to several factors, including improvements in seat belt use, child safety seat and booster seat use, licensing requirements, and vehicle design, according to the report.

Drowning deaths decreased 28%; deaths from fire/burn decreased 45%, and deaths from accidental falls dropped 19%.

Despite the declines, injury remains the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The nation also ranks worst among all high-income countries when it comes to injury deaths among 0 to 14-year-olds, according to the CDC report, which is the first of its kind to describe trends among 0 to 19-year-olds by mechanism and by state.

Unintentional injury rates varied widely among states, suggesting that "environment, exposure to hazards, and difference in public policy might play a role," the authors wrote. The variation also "demonstrated that it is possible to prevent these injuries," said Dr. Arias. Massachusetts had the lowest unintentional injury death rate (4/100,000), and Mississippi had the highest (25.1/100,000).

The report is based on analysis of national mortality data collected in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Systems. 

The authors said the report has at least two limitations. First, the report is based on death certificate data, which are subject to misclassification errors. In addition, the report is limited to unintentional injury deaths and excludes nonfatal injuries. Thus, it underreports "the total burden from injury on the society and the medical care system."

CDC officials and their partners released the National Action Plan for Child Injury Prevention along with this report, hoping that the plan’s implementation "could result in significant reductions in needless deaths, injuries, and costs associated with injuries among children and adolescents in the United States."

Fewer children died from unintentional injuries between 2000 and 2009, but death rates from suffocation and poisoning increased, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall death rate from unintentional injuries among children dropped by nearly 30% during the 10-year period, according to an analysis of national mortality data. There were 9,143 childhood deaths from unintentional injuries in 2009, down from 12,441 in 2000. Yet, that’s about one child death per hour caused by unintentional injury, whether it’s a traffic crash, drowning, poisoning, or fire.

CDC/Amanda Mills

"One child’s death is still one too many," said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., principal deputy director at CDC, in a news conference. "We know most of these events are predictable and preventable."

Traffic crashes were the leading cause of death among children and adolescents (4,564 deaths), followed by suffocation (1,160), drowning (983), poisoning (824), fire/burn (391), and falls (151), according to the report.

Despite a drop in most of the mechanisms, the authors noted the increase in poisoning and suffocation death rates.

There was a 91% increase in poisoning death rate among adolescents aged 15-19 years over the 10-year period. The authors attributed the rise to prescription drug overdoses. Painkillers seem to be replacing marijuana as a gateway drug, said Dr. Arias.

"Strategies to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs include appropriate prescribing, proper storage and disposal, discouraging medication sharing, and state-based prescription drug monitoring programs," the report’s authors wrote (MMWR 2012;61:1-7).

Also, unintentional infant suffocation rates increased 54% between 2000 and 2009. The increase "underscores the importance of safe sleeping environments as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes supine positioning, a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and avoiding loose bedding," the investigators noted.

There was nearly a 41% decrease in deaths from traffic crashes during the 10-year-period, which could be due to several factors, including improvements in seat belt use, child safety seat and booster seat use, licensing requirements, and vehicle design, according to the report.

Drowning deaths decreased 28%; deaths from fire/burn decreased 45%, and deaths from accidental falls dropped 19%.

Despite the declines, injury remains the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The nation also ranks worst among all high-income countries when it comes to injury deaths among 0 to 14-year-olds, according to the CDC report, which is the first of its kind to describe trends among 0 to 19-year-olds by mechanism and by state.

Unintentional injury rates varied widely among states, suggesting that "environment, exposure to hazards, and difference in public policy might play a role," the authors wrote. The variation also "demonstrated that it is possible to prevent these injuries," said Dr. Arias. Massachusetts had the lowest unintentional injury death rate (4/100,000), and Mississippi had the highest (25.1/100,000).

The report is based on analysis of national mortality data collected in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Systems. 

The authors said the report has at least two limitations. First, the report is based on death certificate data, which are subject to misclassification errors. In addition, the report is limited to unintentional injury deaths and excludes nonfatal injuries. Thus, it underreports "the total burden from injury on the society and the medical care system."

CDC officials and their partners released the National Action Plan for Child Injury Prevention along with this report, hoping that the plan’s implementation "could result in significant reductions in needless deaths, injuries, and costs associated with injuries among children and adolescents in the United States."

Fewer children died from unintentional injuries between 2000 and 2009, but death rates from suffocation and poisoning increased, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall death rate from unintentional injuries among children dropped by nearly 30% during the 10-year period, according to an analysis of national mortality data. There were 9,143 childhood deaths from unintentional injuries in 2009, down from 12,441 in 2000. Yet, that’s about one child death per hour caused by unintentional injury, whether it’s a traffic crash, drowning, poisoning, or fire.

CDC/Amanda Mills

"One child’s death is still one too many," said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., principal deputy director at CDC, in a news conference. "We know most of these events are predictable and preventable."

Traffic crashes were the leading cause of death among children and adolescents (4,564 deaths), followed by suffocation (1,160), drowning (983), poisoning (824), fire/burn (391), and falls (151), according to the report.

Despite a drop in most of the mechanisms, the authors noted the increase in poisoning and suffocation death rates.

There was a 91% increase in poisoning death rate among adolescents aged 15-19 years over the 10-year period. The authors attributed the rise to prescription drug overdoses. Painkillers seem to be replacing marijuana as a gateway drug, said Dr. Arias.

"Strategies to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs include appropriate prescribing, proper storage and disposal, discouraging medication sharing, and state-based prescription drug monitoring programs," the report’s authors wrote (MMWR 2012;61:1-7).

Also, unintentional infant suffocation rates increased 54% between 2000 and 2009. The increase "underscores the importance of safe sleeping environments as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes supine positioning, a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and avoiding loose bedding," the investigators noted.

There was nearly a 41% decrease in deaths from traffic crashes during the 10-year-period, which could be due to several factors, including improvements in seat belt use, child safety seat and booster seat use, licensing requirements, and vehicle design, according to the report.

Drowning deaths decreased 28%; deaths from fire/burn decreased 45%, and deaths from accidental falls dropped 19%.

Despite the declines, injury remains the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The nation also ranks worst among all high-income countries when it comes to injury deaths among 0 to 14-year-olds, according to the CDC report, which is the first of its kind to describe trends among 0 to 19-year-olds by mechanism and by state.

Unintentional injury rates varied widely among states, suggesting that "environment, exposure to hazards, and difference in public policy might play a role," the authors wrote. The variation also "demonstrated that it is possible to prevent these injuries," said Dr. Arias. Massachusetts had the lowest unintentional injury death rate (4/100,000), and Mississippi had the highest (25.1/100,000).

The report is based on analysis of national mortality data collected in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Systems. 

The authors said the report has at least two limitations. First, the report is based on death certificate data, which are subject to misclassification errors. In addition, the report is limited to unintentional injury deaths and excludes nonfatal injuries. Thus, it underreports "the total burden from injury on the society and the medical care system."

CDC officials and their partners released the National Action Plan for Child Injury Prevention along with this report, hoping that the plan’s implementation "could result in significant reductions in needless deaths, injuries, and costs associated with injuries among children and adolescents in the United States."