Although this is an unpleasant topic, we hope that it can help lower a number that has been growing in years by addressing the issue. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, injury-related deaths are the most common reason children pass away. The most startling fact is that these numbers are far outpacing toddler and childhood deaths in other developed countries when you look at the numbers.
Gun, Car Crashes and Drowning are Among Leading Causes of Death
For the study, researchers sorted via CDC and World Wellness Company data on 20,360 fatalities of youngsters and teens in the United States in 2016. The researchers determined that automobile crashes were the leading cause of wrongful death of kids in the USA, comprising about 20% of all fatalities among kids in 2016. The chief factor for the car accident cases was cell phone usage by drivers and pedestrians.
According to the researchers, guns and firearms were the second leading cause of death among young children and teens in 2016. Overall, there was a 28% relative increase in the number of weapon fatalities among US children. This number most likely correlates with a 32% rise in gun homicides and a 26% increase in firearm suicide rates. The most troubling fact about these numbers is that children are 36 times more likely to be killed by a firearm in America than in other high-income countries.
Drowning is also a leading cause of death. Nearly 1,000 children will die each year from swimming-related drowning cases. Around 20 percent of these will be boating related. For various reasons, it’s reported that males will make up nearly 80% of these numbers.
What can we Learn from These Numbers?
The largest takeaway from the numbers provided in this study is that many deaths could have been avoided. Yes, accidents can happen, but if we stay vigilant and recognize dangers; hopefully, these numbers can decrease over time. It is up to adults to remain responsible and attend to children, especially if neighborhood kids are at their homes with parents’ permission. An example of this is if the homeowner has a backyard pool, they allow friends to swim.
