ty rate and a decline in deaths due to accidents, injury remains the most frequent underlying cause of death, accounting for between 31%-48% of deaths in children aged 1-18 years. The number of children dying from intentional injuries - such as self-harm or assault - has not changed in 3 decades.
"The report also reveals that children born with the same birth weight were more likely to die if they were born to mothers aged less than 30 years than those with mothers aged 30 to 34 years. Young maternal age does not cause child deaths but is associated with factors which increase health risks for children."
Professor Gilbert said:
"Young maternal age at birth is becoming a marker of social disadvantage as women who have been through higher education and those with career prospects are more likely to postpone pregnancy until their 30s. The increased risk of death for children of mothers under 30 persisted up to 9 years of age but the biggest difference in deaths was for infants aged between 1 month and 1 year. Universal policies are needed to address these disparities. Targeting support only at first-time teenage mums misses most of the problem."
Dr Hilary Cass, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said:
"Injuries remain the biggest cause of child deaths but are declining, so we need to continue to build upon public policy interventions such as traffic calming. The lack of decline in intentional injuries calls for a concerted focus on reducing violence and self-harm in older children.
"We also need to make sure that children with long-term conditions and their families receive optimal care and support to prevent deaths and to improve the end-of-life experience for terminally ill children.
"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is calling on policy makers to use the information in today's report to reduce disparities in child deaths."The full report is available at: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/chr-uk
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Source:
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
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Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. "Two thirds of children who die have a chronic condition, reveals UK's largest study of child mortality." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Sep. 2013. Web.
5 Dec. 2013. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/266711>
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