Child Fatality Review

Abstract

Each year in the United States, more than 40 000 children younger than 19 years die.1 Approximately two-thirds of these deaths are attributable to injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, suicides, homicides, drownings, and fires.1 In addition, approximately 3600 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year, usually during sleep.1 In efforts to more thoroughly investigate and possibly prevent many of these deaths, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Navajo Nation have child fatality review teams (CFRTs), which systematically collect information on the details of the circumstances of these deaths and formulate policies and procedures to prevent them.2 In the 1970s, CFRTs initially developed in response to the increased recognition of child abuse and neglect,3 but in the following 4 decades have grown to include more than 1350 multidisciplinary teams carefully reviewing the circumstances of a wide variety of child deaths with the ultimate goal to prevent future deaths.2 Pediatricians have an important role in this review process, and a 2010 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement encouraged the nation’s pediatricians to be involved in state and local CFRTs.4 This policy statement provides an update on the status of CFRTs across the country and advocates for continued improvement in the review process to better protect children from preventable deaths.