There's nothing more hurtful than the loss of a child. Every time we hear on the news a child is dead, it breaks our heart. We don't have to be related with them to find the event tragic. Even though the death rates in children fell from 1,288 per 100,000 in 1980 to less than 600 per 100,000 in 2019, the numbers are still disturbingly high. Firearm, vehicle crashes and cancer are the leading causes of death in children and teens.
And sadly, because of racism, black children still record the highest rates of death. Statistics show that auto accidents comprise 20% of all deaths, while firearm-related cases make 15%, and cancer 9%. 70% of the young people who died were adolescents, and their causes of death varied according to their age.
This article should draw attention to the main causes of death in US children because it's the moment to work together to reduce or stop them. Saving children's lives should be our top priority.
Here are some revealing trends in children's mortality
Even if the death rates for children are lower than in 1980, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that the number of infant deaths is higher than in 2001 because many babies are born with very low birthweight. Since 2011 the death rates in infants remain stable to around 600 per 100,000, being the lowest one in history.
Statistics prove that children are more likely to die during their first year of life. For example, in 2017 the death rate for babies was 11 times higher than for teens, even if children aged 15 to 19 have the highest mortality rate. Research shows that for those who survive the first year of life the chances to die decrease with their age, until they reach adolescence.
It's surprising to find out that death rates for boys are higher than the ones for girls in all age groups. The difference is easy to see in adolescent groups where males are twice more likely to die than females. 73 deaths per 100,000 teen boys were registered in 2017, and only 30 deaths of female teens.
As stated before, black children have the highest death rates in the USA, followed by American Indian, non-Hispanic white and Hispanic kids. Asian and Pacific Islanders register the lowest rates. For infants, the numbers are similar, Asian and Pacific Islanders have the greatest chances to survive, while Hispanic and black infants have the highest rates of death. Harrowing is that the rate among black infants is twice higher than the one for Hispanic babies that is the second highest one.
What are the main causes of childhood death?
60% of children deaths result from injuries. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention released a top of the 10 main causes of child and adolescent death in the USA according to their frequency, and the first 6 ones are injury-related.
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Motor vehicle crash
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Firearm-related injuries (homicide, suicide, unintentional, undermined intent)
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Malignant neoplasm
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Suffocation (suicide, unintentional)
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Drowning
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Drug overdose or poisoning (suicide, unintentional)
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Congenital anomalies
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Heart disease
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Fire or burns
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Chronic lower respiratory disease
The above top organizes the causes according to the underlying mechanism and intent both factors being important in understanding why children death rates are still high. By understanding the causes behind fatalities, the authorities can develop preventing techniques that can lower and even cut the number of deaths.
The top shows that most of the deaths, 60% more exactly, were the result of unintentional injuries. Intentional injuries and mainly suicide stand for 21% of deaths and homicide for 20%.
Auto accidents are the main cause of death for kids and teenagers, representing 20% of all fatalities. Teens driving cars on the road are a danger to themselves and other traffic users. Many teens speed away from the police when they are driving one of their friends' car or when they are using a car without insurance policy. The number of adolescents killed in traffic accidents running from the police is higher than ever. Teaching them how to drive responsibly, and how to behave when the police ask them to stop the car are some of the best ways to prevent fatalities. Teens need to understand the negative effects alcohol has on their driving abilities not to adopt this practice. Another solution, to ensure they'll never speed drive to run from the police is to get them a cheap DUI insurance. This way they are aware the policy protects them and they'll not do anything reckless that can endanger their life.
Edward W. Capion, the NEJM executive director states that the rate of death because of traffic accidents is triple in the USA than in other developed states. He also highlighted that firearm injury is a minor or even inexistent contributor in other developed states. Children in the USA are 35 more likely to suffer firearm death, than their counterparts from high-income regions.
Firearm injuries cause 15% of children deaths. From all firearm deaths, 60% were homicides, 30% suicides, and the other unintentional.
Even if medical advancements are made daily, cancer is still one of the main factors leading to death in children in the USA. It causes 9% of all children deaths, mainly because children's bodies cannot fight the disease as well as adults, and because parents misunderstand the symptoms associated with the disease. However, it's important to note that death from cancer declined 30% from 1990 to present, thanks to the scientific advancements made in child cancer detection, prevention and treatment.
Statistics show that drug overdoses and poisoning case are higher than in the past due to easy access to opioids. Opioids are responsible for 50% of all overdoses adolescent took.
The news about the causes of death in US children is disturbing because all the above ten factors are preventable. The solution to lowering the number of dead children is the society to change its perception of prevention, and no longer consider the above factors as accidents. Rigorous education and prevention methods can reduce deaths in children and adolescents.