Unintentional injuries cause more than 12,000 U.S. children's deaths ATLANTA, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for U.S. children, federal health officials say. Researcher Nagesh Borse of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said unintentional injuries account for more than 12,000 children's deaths a year. To prevent them, people need to know which kids are more likely to be hurt, when and how. For instance, Borse said boys ages 15-19 are among those with the highest risk of death, notably in motor vehicle crashes. Using safety belts, wearing bicycle and motorcycle helmets, reducing drinking and driving and enforcing graduated driver licensing all help prevent motor vehicle crash injuries. In addition, Borse also said to use the right child safety seat in the car, use smoke alarms, make a fire escape plan for your home and keep medicines, vitamins and cleaning products out of your child's reach. "Also, teach your child to swim and closely watch your child in or near water," Borse said. Make sure your child wears the right safety gear such as a helmet or pads when playing sports.