Leading Causes of Death in the United States for Children Ages 5-14

Leading Causes of Death in the United States – 2010 (CDC)

Children ages 5-9

• Unintentional injury (758)
  • Motor vehicle, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fire/burns, falls, sports & recreation
• Malignant neoplasm (439)
• Congenital anomalies (163)
• Homicide (111)
• Heart Disease (68)

Children ages 10—14

• Unintentional injury (885)
  • Motor vehicle, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fire/burns, falls, sports & recreation
• Malignant neoplasm (477)
• Suicide (267)
• Homicide (150)
• Congenital anomalies (135)

Even with fatalities from school shootings, death by homicide is very infrequent for children ages 5-14 and far less than death for that population secondary to motor vehicle crashes.  While any youth homicide is one too many, school staff must continue to put statistical information before parents to convey that schools remain a very safe environment for their children.