Deaths from Unintentional Injury Are Declining Among U.S. Children

Unintentional injuries remain the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 19 years and the fifth leading cause among infants (age <1 year). The CDC tracked nationwide data on this topic by analyzing death certificates from 2000 through 2009 for all children aged 19 years and younger.

Overall, the rate of death from unintentional injury, per 100,000 children, decreased from 15.5 in 2000 to 11.0 in 2009. The rate was substantially higher for males than for females and for American Indians/Alaska Natives than for other groups. Among infants specifically, the death rate from unintentional injury rose from 23.1 to 27.7 per 100,000 children, largely because of an increase in suffocations. Among youth aged 15 to 19 years, deaths related to …