Injury-related childhood mortality in migrant households in a southern city of China.
BACKGROUND
Sporadic evidence from China suggests that migrant children are at higher risk of injury-related mortality than local indigenous children.


METHODS
Child deaths from 2004 to 2008 were provided by the Shenzhen Women and Child Health Surveillance System. Population data for children 1-4 years old were obtained from the Shenzhen Bureau of Statistics and number of live births was obtained from birth registration records. All-cause and injury-related childhood mortality rates and death causes were calculated and compared.


RESULTS
A total of 3774 deaths were identified. All-cause mortality rates per 10,000 dropped significantly from 66.28 (95% CI 60.50 to 72.06) in infants (<1 year old) and 7.40 (95% CI 6.16 to 8.64) in early childhood (1-4 years old) in 2004 to 40.42 (95% CI 37.31 to 43.53) and 3.97 (95% CI 3.36 to 4.58) in 2008. However, injury-related mortality rates did not change significantly from 2.36 (95% CI 1.27 to 3.45) in infants and 2.97 (95% CI 2.19 to 3.76) in early childhood in 2004 to 2.00 (95% CI 1.31 to 2.69) and 2.00 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.43) in 2008. Injury-related mortality rates were significantly higher among migrant children (p<0.05). Drowning and traffic crashes were the top two causes of early childhood injury deaths; suffocation was the leading cause of infant injury deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
Migrant children were at significantly higher risk of injury-related mortality than local indigenous children. Injury prevention in Shenzhen should target drowning and traffic safety among young children and suffocation among infants as top priorities.
Wang
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Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, The People's Republic of China. xwanghong@163.com
Smith
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GA
Stallones
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Xiang
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D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D002423:Cause of Death; D046688:Child Mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control