Detailed analysis of trauma-related deaths among children under 15
More than 400 children die each year as a result of trauma, nearly 60 of whom are under 1 year old and 150 of whom are between 1 and 4 years old. The number and general characteristics of these deaths are known thanks to data from death certificates in the CépiDc database. However, these data are insufficient to accurately describe the circumstances surrounding the trauma that caused a death.
A feasibility study on “mortality from everyday accidents among children under 15 years of age—Mac-15” was conducted in 2009 in three French regions. It enabled the collection of detailed information from certifying physicians regarding the circumstances leading to the accidental deaths of 76 children. This data collection was well received by healthcare professionals. The accuracy of the collected data led to a better understanding of the risk factors for death from accidental injuries, making it possible to target at-risk populations.
Starting in 2015, following this initial study, Santé publique France established a continuous national registry of the detailed circumstances of all trauma-related deaths among children under 15 years of age. This registry, titled "Detailed Analysis of Traumatic Deaths Among Children Under 15 (ADT)," aims to provide detailed knowledge of the circumstances surrounding fatal injuries in order to assess their preventability and direct prevention messages toward at-risk populations.
The detailed circumstances of the trauma will be reported, in free text, by the emergency responder(s) and/or the physician(s) who treated the child, particularly the certifying physician.
The National Commission on Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL) has authorized the collection and processing of ADT data. The data is exclusively reserved for the Department of Chronic Diseases and Traumas (DMCT) of the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance. No disclosure of this data outside the DMCT is planned.
