Suffocation was the leading cause of accidental deaths among Clark County children under 2 years old, according to the 2010 annual report of child deaths prepared by the Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) at UNLV. Almost all of the suffocation cases occurred in a sleeping environment, indicating more outreach is needed to educate the community about safe sleeping environments for infants.
Prematurity, congenial defects and chronic illness were the three leading causes of natural death among children, the report finds.
The NICRP report breaks down the manners and causes of 251 child death cases ranging from birth to 17 years in Clark County in 2010. The cases reviewed include all natural deaths (168 cases) as well as accidents (46 cases), homicides (20 cases), suicides (7 cases) and deaths from undetermined causes (10 cases).
Child fatalities decreased 19.3 percent from 2008 to 2010. For the first time since data collection began in 2006, weapons related deaths - including abuse and cases involving a body part being used as a weapon - led all deaths caused by an external injury.
The report uses data gathered by an independent child death review team in Clark County and is designed to help local officials identify trends and risk factors related to how children are dying in order to target prevention efforts accordingly.
Among the report's significant findings:
- Homicides increased nearly 17.6 percent from 17 in 2009 to 20 in 2010.
- Drowning was the second leading cause of accidental death at 10 cases, with seven victims between 1 and 4 years old.
- Motor vehicle accidents decreased by 47 percent from 15 in 2009 to eight in 2010. This is the lowest number of motor vehicle accidents reported since data collection started in 2006. This reflects a national trend in the reduction of motor vehicle fatalities for all ages.
- Suicides increased from four in 2009 to seven in 2010, with most victims between 16 and 17 years old.
In Clark County, the overall death rate and unintentional injury rate is lower than the national rate, but Clark County's homicide and suicide rates are higher than the national rate. The Clark County homicide rate for children is 3.9 in 2010 compared to the national rate of 2.7 reported from 2005 to 2007. Clark County's suicide rate is 1.36 while the national rate is 1.3.
The report's authors urge for better access to prenatal care and more educational programs, particularly for young women. Researchers also recommend increased awareness on firearm safety and the proper management of common chronic illnesses in children such as asthma and diabetes. The child death review team consists of members from law enforcement, government, healthcare and the local community. This is the fifth year the NICRP at UNLV has prepared an annual report.
