Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

The epidemiology of infant injuries and alarming health disparities

Richard A Falcone1, Rebeccah L Brown, Victor F Garcia

  • 1Division of Pediatric and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. richard.falcone@cchmc.org

Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|January 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

African-American infants face a 3.5 times higher risk of preventable injury deaths than white infants. This disparity in infant mortality, particularly from abuse and suffocation, persists regardless of health insurance status.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Injury Prevention

Background:

  • Injury epidemiology is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
  • Significant disparities exist in infant injury-related mortality between African Americans and white populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the epidemiology of infant injury-related mortality rates.
  • To understand racial disparities in infant mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewed trauma database for infant injuries over a 10-year period (1995-2004).
  • Analyzed mortality rates based on race, injury mechanism, and health insurance type.

Main Results:

  • Identified 1270 infant injuries; 4.8% overall mortality.
  • African-American infants had significantly higher mortality rates for overall injury (9.6% vs 2.8%), abuse (15% vs 4%), and suffocation (100% vs 55%).
  • Mortality disparities persisted between races even when controlling for health insurance type.

Conclusions:

  • African-American infants have a 3.5 times increased risk of death from preventable injuries compared to white infants.
  • This disparity is not explained by socioeconomic status (indicated by insurance type).
  • Targeted injury prevention programs addressing abuse and suffocation among African-American infants are critical.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
Introduction to Epidemiology01:26

Introduction to Epidemiology

Epidemiology, known as the cornerstone of public health, involves studying the distribution and determinants of health-related events in defined populations and applying these insights to control health issues. This is essential for understanding how diseases spread, identifying populations at greater risk, and implementing measures to control or prevent outbreaks. Epidemiology addresses not only infectious diseases but also non-communicable conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease,...
Prevalence and Incidence01:08

Prevalence and Incidence

In statistical epidemiology and health sciences, two essential metrics—prevalence and incidence—are fundamental for understanding disease dynamics within a population. These measures enable public health officials, epidemiologists, and researchers to assess the burden of diseases, allocate resources effectively, and design impactful public health policies and interventions.
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health condition at a...
Confounding in Epidemiological Studies01:27

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in statistical epidemiology represents a pivotal challenge, referring to the distortion in the perceived relationship between an exposure and an outcome due to the presence of a third variable, known as a confounder. This variable is associated with both the exposure and the outcome but is not a direct link in their causal chain. Its presence can lead to erroneous interpretations of the exposure's effect, either exaggerating or underestimating the true association. This phenomenon...
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is: