The Major Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States

Abstract

In 2016, children and adolescents (1 to 19 years of age) represented a quarter of the total estimated U.S. population¹; reflecting relatively good health, they accounted for less than 2% of all U.S. deaths.² By 2016, death among children and adolescents had become a rare event. Declines in deaths from infectious disease or cancer, which had resulted from early diagnosis, vaccinations, antibiotics, and medical and surgical treatment, had given way to increases in deaths from injury-related causes, including motor vehicle crashes, firearm injuries, and the emerging problem of opioid overdoses. Although injury deaths have traditionally been viewed as “accidents,” injury-prevention science that evolved during the latter half of the 20th century increasingly shows that such deaths are preventable with evidence-based approaches.