Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in the United States. Each year, more than 12,000 U.S. children (ranging in age from birth to 19 years) die from an unintentional injury. Every day, about 20 children die from a preventable injury. And unintentional injury is the cause of an estimated 9.2 million initial ED visits by children annually. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides an overview of patterns of unintentional injuries in this age group from 2000 to 2006; injuries covered include drowning, falls, burns and injuries from fires, transportation-related injuries, poisoning, and suffocation, among others. Findings are presented by sex, age group, and geographic area. The CDC hopes that the report, which is available at http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/Child_Injury_Data.htm, will help nurses and other health care professionals better understand the problem and take needed steps to help prevent injuries in children.

Nurses can direct parents to the CDC's Protect the Ones You Love initiative at http://www.cdc.gov/safechild, where they will find free tip sheets, podcasts, and information on how parents can prevent injuries.