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Statistics on Early Childhood Injuries in the US
Accidential Injury
Accidental injury is the leading cause of death for U.S. children from one to 14 years old. More than 5000 children die every year from an accidential injury! 40% of these are in and around the home. The leading causes are motor vehicle occupant injury, airway obstruction, drowning, pedestrian injury and burns.
Injuries to children ages 14 and under results in more than 200,000 hospitalizations, more than 2.3 million visits to hospital outpatient departments and more than 17 million visits to a physician. Injuries are the second leading cause of hospitalization and the leading cause of emergency room visits among children under 14.
9 in 10 injuries can easily be prevented!
Leading Causes
Airway obstruction (mainly choking) is the leading cause of fatal accidental injury for infants ages 1 and under in the home. Almost 500 children die annually and nearly 18,000 children are treated in hospital emergency departments for airway obstruction related injuries.
Drowning is the leading cause of fatal accidental injury for children ages 1 to 4 in the home. Almost 300 children die annually from drowning and nearly 4000 children are treated in hospital emergency departments for near drowning related injuries including severe, permanent neurological disability.
Falls are by far the leading cause of all non-fatal accidental accidents for young children accounting for more than half of all non-fatal injuries. Almost 2,5 million children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for fall related injuries.
Falls are followed by "struck by an object”, which is the type of accident where the child is being hit by an object such as a falling item from a table, a bookshelf or even falling furniture, and "cuts and bruises”, which occurs when the child is hit by a sharp object, runs into or falls on a sharp or hard surface (including stone and glass tables, fireplaces etc.). Severe cuts also happens if the child can access knives, razorblades, thin glass items and similar – often in drawers and cabinets.
