5: Nonfatal Unintentional Injury Estimates among Children 0 to 19 Years, United States, 2001 – 2006

5.6: Analysis by Age Group

This section describes nonfatal injury for each age group in more detail. Table 7 displays the leading causes of nonfatal injury among children by age group and rank. For each age group, the total number of nonfatal injuries over the period 2001-2006 is reported, along with the proportion of all nonfatal injuries among each age group that each cause represented.

Among children less than 1 year of age, the majority of nonfatal injuries were due to falls (52%) followed by being struck by or against an object (14%). In those 1 to 4 years of age, the leading cause of nonfatal injury was falls (43%), followed by being struck by or against an object (19%). In those 5 to 9 years of age, the leading cause of nonfatal injury was falls (37%) followed by injuries due to being struck by or against an object (23%). In those 10 to 14 years of age, the leading causes of nonfatal injury were falls (28%) and injuries due to being struck by or against an object (25%). In those 15 to 19 years of age, the leading cause of nonfatal injury was being struck by or against an object (21%), followed by falls (17%).

Table 7: Leading Causes of Nonfatal Unintentional Injuries among Children 0 to 19 Years, by Age Group, United States, 2001 – 2006

5.6.1: Nonfatal Injuries among Children Less Than 1 Year

The U.S. nonfatal injury rate among children less than 1 year of age was 5,870 per 100,000. Males in this age group had a nonfatal injury rate of 6,296 per 100,000 and females a rate of 5,423 per 100,000. (Fig 42) Falls resulted in the highest rate of injury (3,049 per 100,000), followed by being struck by or against an object (795 per 100,000). The nonfatal injury rate due to suffocation, which was the leading cause of injury death in this age group, was only 150 per 100,000 children. (Fig 45)

5.6.2: Nonfatal Injuries among Children 1 to 4 Years

The U.S. nonfatal injury rate among children 1 to 4 years of age was 12,873 per 100,000. Males in this age group had a nonfatal injury rate of 14,444 per 100,000 and females a rate of 11,228 per 100,000. (Fig 42) Falls resulted in the highest rate of injury (5,531 per 100,000), followed by being struck by or against an object (2,411 per 100,000). (Fig 46)

5.6.3: Nonfatal Injuries among Children 5 to 9 Years

The U.S. nonfatal injury rate among children 5 to 9 years of age was 9,311 per 100,000. Males 5 to 9 years of age had a nonfatal injury rate of 10,615 per 100,000 and females a rate of 7,944 per 100,000. (Fig 42) Falls resulted in the highest rate of injury (3,406 per 100,000) followed by being struck by or against an object (2,152 per 100,000). (Fig 47)

5.6.4: Nonfatal Injuries among Children 10 to 14 Years

The U.S. nonfatal injury rate among children 10 to 14 years was 11,220 per 100,000. Males in this age group had a nonfatal injury rate of 13,443 per 100,000 and females a rate of 8,887 per 100,000. (Fig 42) Falls and being struck by or against an object resulted in the highest rates of injury (3,136 and 2,854 per 100,000, respectively). (Fig 48)

5.6.5: Nonfatal Injuries among Children 15 to 19 Years

The U.S. nonfatal injury rate among those 15 to 19 years of age was 13,036 per 100,000. Males 15 to 19 years of age had a rate of 15,510 per 100,000 and females a rate of 10,423 per 100,000. (Fig 42) Injuries due to being struck by or against an object had the highest rate (2,732 per 100,000), followed by falls, motor vehicle occupant injuries and overexertion (2,178, 2,164 and 1,883 per 100,000, respectively). (Fig 49) The nonfatal drowning rate may be unreliable due to variation in number of drowning injuries seen in emergency departments.

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