193 children’s lives saved over the last decade,
thanks to prevention policies, law enforcement, education
More
children are alive and well in King County today because of a dramatic drop in
injury deaths such as traffic crashes, drowning, falls and burns. From 2000 to
2009, the rate of death from injuries for children 19 and younger declined by
62 percent. The reduction reflects a decade of innovative public health research,
policies, law enforcement, and education of parents.
“There
is nothing more valuable than saving a child’s life,” said King County
Executive Dow Constantine. “Thanks to safety programs and safer practices,
we’ve taken a tremendous step forward in making King County a healthier place
to live.”
In King
County, 22 children died from injuries in 2009, down from 55 in 2000. Public
Health – Seattle & King County estimates that 193 children are alive today
who wouldn’t be if injury death rates hadn’t declined.
The
improvements in King County surpassed a national trend of fewer child injury
deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that
child deaths from injuries declined 29 percent from 2000 to 2009.
“In
King County, child injury rates have fallen twice as fast as national injury
rates,” said Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention &
Research Center, University of Washington. “We led the nation in strong bicycle
helmet legislation, passed the first booster seat law in the country, and have
innovative programs to prevent childhood drowning. These programs make a
difference.”
In King
County, traffic-related child deaths declined from 35 in 2000 to 11 in 2009.
“Safer
cars play a huge role in reducing the number of traffic-related deaths,” said
Dr. David Fleming, Director & Health Officer for Public Health. “Many of us
can remember climbing around the front seat of our parents’ cars —with no seat
belts and no air bags. We’ve come a long way, and our kids are safer because of
it.”
A
variety of other factors also contributed to the decline in traffic-related
child deaths, including:
·
Ninety-eight
percent of people wearing seat belts, one of the highest rates in the nation
·
Graduated
Driver’s Licenses, which help keep teen drivers safe through passenger
restrictions, curfew times, and more supervised time behind the wheel.
·
Impaired
driving enforcement, prosecution and penalties
The
number of children who drowned in King County also has been steadily declining;
five children drowned in 2000 and only one in 2009.
A
number of policies that have made King County a safer place for children are a
result of the work of the King County Child Death Review committee. The committee—comprised
of health care providers, government agencies, law enforcement and fire
departments, prosecutors, community leaders and others— reviews the
circumstances of the death of each child in King County and uses the
information to take action to prevent future deaths. Changes that have resulted
from this robust process include increased education and promotion of safe
sleep positions, the promotion of legislation on bicycle helmets, and the
removal of unsafe child products from the market.
Despite
efforts to make our community safer for all children, injuries remain a leading
cause of death locally and nationally, and new challenges persist. Accidental
poisonings, including teenagers overdosing prescription drugs, are a growing
concern.
“The
significant decline in child injury rates can also be attributed to the
partnerships between King County organizations and residents who have worked
together to make policy- and system-level changes that promote safety,” said
Dr. Linda Quan, who co-led the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Seattle and
has researched drowning for over 30 years while at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“But, we still have work to do. Our goal is to get unintentional deaths to
zero. Therefore it’s imperative that supporting new and existing safety
initiatives remain a priority in our governments, businesses and communities.”
To
learn more about the important work of local collaborations to prevent child
injuries and deaths, visit:
'Child
injuries' refers to unintentional injuries that occur among children and teens
0-19 years.
Providing
effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.9
million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle &
King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.
More at www.kingcounty.gov/health
Contact:
Katie Ross, 206-263-8781
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