Childhood death rates are on the rise across the United States, new research has found.
Between 2018 and 2022, child and adolescent mortality increased by 18.8 percent, more than twice the increase seen between 2013 and 2017. These increases were primarily driven by an increase in injury-related deaths, mainly due to firearms and overdoses. However, death rates vary significantly across the country.
"There are reasons for concern," Eugenio Vargas, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan's Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, told Newsweek.
"We found that firearm-related injuries were the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in 25 states and the second leading cause in another 17 states. Motor vehicle-related injuries were the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in 23 states, and Malignant Neoplasms and suffocation were among the top two leading causes of death in 9 states."
Overall, the highest childhood death rates were seen in Mississippi, where a mortality rate of 47.2 per 100,000 was reported in 2018. Louisiana and Montana followed this. Meanwhile, the most significant increase between 2018 and 2022 was seen in North Dakota, with a 65 percent rise in mortality rates.
At the other end of the spectrum, Rhode Island had the lowest death rates and also saw the biggest decrease in death rates during this period.
The map below shows the variation in childhood mortality across the U.S. for 2022, along with the changes in mortality rates between 2018 and 2022.
"This study shows that firearm-related deaths among children and adolescents continues to be a critical and geographically diverse issue in the United States," Vargas said. "These injuries are preventable, and by identifying the high-priority areas, we can better tailor evidence-based strategies, solutions and policies to save lives."
Earlier this summer, to address the firearm-related mortality across the country, the U.S. Surgeon General declared firearm violence a public health crisis.
"The implementation of evidence-based policy solutions is important, particularly to reduce firearm-related mortality," Vargas said. "In this regard, there are studies that highlight the importance of enhanced firearm safety and the improvement of community safety through environmental changes."
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References
Weigend Vargas, E., Stallworth, P., Carter, P. M., & Goldstick, J. E. (2024). State-to-State Variation in Rates and Causes of Child and Adolescent Mortality in the US. JAMA Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2894
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