Technical Notes for 2012 Child Deaths in North Carolina
In 2012, the child death rate raised 2.1% compared to the child death rate in 201 1, 58.6 vs. 57.4
per 100,000 children ages 0-17. During the past twenty years, 1993-2012, the rate has declined a
total of 41 percent.
The data presented in the report are derived from death certificates filed with the North Carolina
Vital Records office for children ages 0 through 17 who died in 2012. Any changes to these
records which occur after the mortality files have been closed will not be reflected in the report.
Also it is inappropriate to compare the statistics presented in this report with statistics presented
by the Office Chief of Medical Examiner (OCME) because file closure and coding practices are
different.
I. Child Deaths by Cause
Roundin» Considerations
The percentages presented are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not sum to the total
due to rounding.
Unintentional Injuries Subcategories
Note that the total number of unintentional injuries is divided into seven subcategories: motor
vehicle injuries, bicycle injuries, injuries caused by fire, drowning, falls, poisoning and other
unintentional injuries. These subcategory numbers are not included in the column total since
they were already accounted for in the broad Unintentional Injuries category. The subcategories
are kept across all four columns: Average Annual Number 2008-2012, Number in 201 1, Number
in 2012, and Percent Change. The Other unintentional injuries subcategory contains causes of
death due to “Other accidental threats to breathing” (66.0%), “Exposure to inanimate mechanical
forces” (14.0%), “Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors (8.0%), “Transport
accidents”, and “Exposure to electric current, radiation and extreme ambient air temperature and
pressure” (4.0%), “Exposure to forces of nature”, and "Sequelae of external causes of morbidity
and mortality” (2.0%).
All Other Causes of Death Category
This sub-grouping includes deaths which cannot be categorized into any of the major cause of
death categories. Within this category, the majority of deaths were attributed to “Symptoms,
signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified” (92.2%),
“Complications of medical and surgical care” (4.3%), “Event of undetermined intent -other and
unspecified firearm discharge” (1.7%), “Mental retardation”, and “Systemic connective tissue
disorders” (0.9%).
Interpreting Percent Change
The Percent Change column is a comparison of the 2012 deaths to the 201 1 deaths. Please note
that when a category contains a small number of deaths, such as falls, or bicycle injuries, a
change of just one death produces a relatively large percent change.
Produced by the Division Public Health - Women's and
Children’s Health Section in conjunction with the State
Center for Health Statistics
I
9/19/2013