Accidents are leading cause of death for boys aged 1-4

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned that accidental injury is the leading cause of death for boys aged one to four.

In a report launched at the Houses of Parliament, senior doctors also reveal:

Over 800 children aged one to nine die each year in the UK. One in eight of these deaths are caused by accidents.
Last year, over 45,000 under-fives were admitted to hospitals across England, Scotland and Wales as a result of accidents.
Almost three-quarters of these accidents happened at home.
Nearly 1,300 young people aged 10 to 19 die each year in the UK. One in three of these deaths are caused by accidents.
Accidental injury is the leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 19.
There is a strong link between deprivation and the risk of death throughout childhood.

Accidents are preventable

The Royal College is worried that accidents are preventable but remain a leading cause of death, ill-health and disability for children in the UK. They stress that:

A reduction in accidental injuries can be achieved at low cost, particularly through parent education and local co-ordination.
Health, education and social care early years professionals need training to prevent accidents in early years’ settings, and to educate and support parents in accident prevention.
Local authorities have a responsibility to provide strategic leadership for injury prevention, bringing together a very wide range of services from diverse sectors including health, education, social care, housing and emergency services.

Every child’s death is a tragedy. Far too many children still die from preventable accidents. Please help us make 2017 the year the heartache stops.

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