HHS HealthBeat (May 17, 2012)

More safe kids

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Rates of unintentional injury deaths by children and teens have been dropping – but rates for some causes have been going up.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the death rate overall fell nearly 30 percent from 2000 to 2009. But Dr. Erin Parker says 9,000 died in 2009:

“The leading causes of child injury include car crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires and burns, and falls. We’re concerned about suffocation and teen poisonings, which have increased.”

To protect babies from suffocating, put them to sleep on their backs, with no loose bedding, soft toys, or pillows. The issue for teens is largely prescription painkiller overdoses.

The analysis is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 17, 2012