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TxLn
NON-CIRCULATING
September 1, 1997
I xAS STATE
DOCUMENTS COLLECT1O0
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closer examination of child
mortality rates reveals that
deaths from certain causes,
such as motor vehicle crashes, have
declined dramatically from 1980 to
1995, while intentional injury deaths
(homicide and suicide) increased
32%. In addition to the different
trends in causes of death, there are
also different patterns in the distri-
bution of deaths. Child mortality
rates are higher for males than for
females, and rates for African
American children are higher than
for children of other racial groups.
The most marked differences, how-
ever, are among age groups.
Figure 1. Child Mortality, 1980-1995
Cases per 100,000 Population
140
120
100
80
60
40
Infant Deaths
Figure 2 shows the number of deaths by age
group due to "natural"1 and "external" causes.
Deaths identified as natural are deaths associ-
ated with diseases, congenital anomalies,
perinatal conditions, and certain ill-defined
conditions. They are to be distinguished from
external causes of death which generally can
point to one specific external event--such as
collision, shooting, fire, or shaking--that ini-
tiates a chain of morbid conditions that re-
sulted in death.
The majority-of child fatalities occur to infants,
(children younger than 1 year old). Nearly
60% of these infants die during the first month
of life. Infant mortality is distinguished from
that of older children not only by the number
of deaths, but also by the manner. In 1995
more than 95% of the infant deaths were at-
tributed to natural causes, the most notable of
This term is somewhat of a misnomer, since these deaths are not necessarily expected, and many are preventable.
"Natural" is used in this context only to distinguish them from deaths due to external causes.
Texas Department of Health
Child Mortality in Texas, 1980-1995
More than 10 out of every 10,000 Texas children younger than 18 years of age died in 1980 (Figure 1). In
1995 approximately 7 of every 10,000 children died--a decrease of 41 %. While this trend is encouraging,
the fact that more than 4,000 Texas children still die each year warrants continued public health concern.
U OF NT
DEPOSIToRY
SEP 2 4 ;97
LIBRP AR
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
Year
which were congenital anomalies, sudden in-
fant death syndrome (SIDS), and disorders re-
lated to prematurity and low birth weight.
Child Deaths
While the overwhelming majority of infant
deaths are due to natural causes, injuries are
the leading cause of death for children older
than 1 year, accounting for nearly 40% of the
fatalities in this age group. The proportion of
injury deaths increases with age: among chil-
Continued e
Also in this issue:
Texas Department of Health Regional Offices
DPN Renewal Deadline Approaching