Common Childhood Injuries and Poisonings

Accident Statistics

Injuries are a major source of childhood emergency department and hospital admissions. Accident statistics from the National Safety Council, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and other sources tell us that:

  • Injury is the leading cause of death in children and young adults.
  • Dogs bite more than 4.7 million people each year.
  • In 2000, nearly 373,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in the US for bicycle-related injuries, and 173 died from this type of injury in 1999.
  • The types of trauma that cause death in children (in order of frequency) are:
    • motor-vehicle accidents
    • drowning
    • fires/burns
    • suffocation and choking
    • firearms
    • falls
    • poisonings
  • In 2000, approximately 2,300 children ages 14 and under died from accidents in the home.
  • Children from birth to 4 years old account for nearly 60 percent of deaths in house fires.

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