Injury main cause of death among youths

INJURY is the leading cause of death in Ireland among children and teens, and road traffic accidents take the greatest toll, according to a report on child safety.

Out of 24 countries whose child safety rates were graded in report cards, Ireland has the fifth highest and eighth highest death rates from injury in females and males respectively.

Males aged 15-19 had the highest death rates in five categories, including road traffic accidents; drowning; falls; fire, burns and scalds and poisoning.

Children aged one-four had the highest rates of hospitalisation as a result of accidental burns. However, teenage girls aged 15-19 had the highest rate of hospitalisation for accidental poisoning.

The statistics are contained in a Child Safety Country Profile, launched by EuroSafe, the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. Twenty four countries are profiled and each are given a Child Safety Report Card for 2009, measuring injury areas including moped/motor scooter safety; passenger/driver safety; pedestrian safety; cycling safety; water safety; fall prevention; poisoning prevention; burn/scald prevention; choking/strangulation prevention, as well as child safety leadership, infrastructure and capacity.

Ireland gets a “poor” rating in a number of areas for failing to have national legislation that:

* Limits the age or number of child and teen passengers on mopeds/motor scooters.

* Requires children to remain seated in rear-facing car seats until age four.

* Requires graduated licensing for new drivers.

* Bans children from riding/driving tractors.

* Requires use of a bicycle helmet while cycling.

*Requires barrier fencing for public and private pools and a minimum number of lifeguards on beaches and at public pools.

*Bans the marketing and sale of baby walkers.

*Requires child resistant packaging of medications and child resistant packaging of household cleaners.

The Ireland country profile shows injury deaths in children and teens in 2005 represented nearly 6,800 potential years of life lost.

The injury death rate per 100,000 for children and teens aged 0-19 years was however lower than the EU average at 9.52 compared to 14.18.

“More children and adolescents are injured when families are of lower income, have less education and are less literate, live in more crowded conditions and when adequate funding is not provided for public health as part of healthcare,” the report said.

It found the percentage of children living in jobless households in Ireland, 11.5%, was higher than the EU-27 average, 9.4%.

Minister Áine Brady, Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, will announce the report card launch today. She said “excellent work” is taking place in Ireland in the areas of road safety, fire safety and water safety.