Child Mortality in United States

United States

Most childhood deaths are preventable. In 2020-2022, the leading causes of death among children in the United States ages 1-19 were accidents (unintentional injuries), homicide, suicide, cancer and congenital abnormalities. Most homicides of young children are committed by parents or family members, while older children are more likely to be killed by acquaintances. The leading mechanisms of injury death (intentional and unintentional) in 2020-2022 were firearms, followed by motor vehicle traffic accidents and poisoning. The U.S. is the only nation among its economic peers where firearms are the leading cause of child mortality.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the rate of child mortality is higher among:

• Youths ages 15-19, who have the highest mortality rate, followed by those ages 1-4 and then those ages 5-14.
• Boys, who have a child mortality rate nearly twice as high as girls.
• American Indian/Alaska Native and Black youths, who both have a rate four times that of Asian youth.

To combat accidents as the leading cause of child mortality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published resources and recommendations on drowning prevention; proper use of car seats, booster seats and seat belts to reduce car crash injuries; and familial and school support approaches to reduce substance use and related injury. The CDC also maintains a listing of effective and promising youth violence prevention strategies, such as universal school-based programs, which are also recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force. 

Youth suicide is preventable and can be substantially reduced by:

• Knowing the signs. Four out of every five suicide deaths are preceded by warning signs such as suicide threats, previous suicide attempts, depression, preoccupation or obsession with death or making final arrangements. 

• Implementing school-based mental health services. In addition to building social skills, self-awareness and leadership, these programs have been shown to help students achieve academically. 
• Making it more difficult to die in an act of deliberate self-harm. Interventions include lethal means counseling, building suicide barriers on bridges and removing guns from homes with youth who show warning signs or may be at risk for suicide. 

Youth.gov provides further resources on preventing youth suicide.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to decrease child mortality.

Barber, Catherine W., and Matthew J. Miller. “Reducing a Suicidal Person’s Access to Lethal Means of Suicide.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 47, no. 3 (September 2014): S264–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.05.028.

Puzzanchera, Charles, Sarah Hockenberry, and Melissa Sickmund. “Youth and the Juvenile Justice System: 2022 National Report.” Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, December 2022. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/2022-national-report.pdf.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. “A Recommendation to Reduce Rates of Violence Among School-Aged Children and Youth by Means of Universal School-Based Violence Prevention Programs.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33, no. 2, Supplement (August 1, 2007): S112–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.04.014.