PHOENIX —
More children died in Arizona in 2020 than in previous years, according to a new report released by the Arizona Child Fatality Review.
According to CFR, 838 children died in Arizona last year, which was an increase from the 777 deaths reported in 2019.
The leading causes of death were prematurity, congenital anomalies, motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, and firearm injuries.
The report also included COVID-related deaths in cases where the coronavirus directly caused the child's death or was a contributing factor.
The direct COVID-19 mortality rate in Arizona was 0.73 deaths per 100,000 children which is more than double the national mortality rate of 0.27 deaths per 100,000 children.
According to CFR, 58% percent of direct COVID-19 deaths occurred in children younger than 12 years old and 50% of the direct COVID-19 deaths were children living in a rural region. The most common risk factor for direct COVID-19 deaths was poverty (58%).
Arizona saw a 31% increase in accidental deaths from 2019 to 2020. Officials said the three most common causes of accidental death were motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, and suffocation.
The substance abuse-related death rate also increased 32% between 2019 to 2020. The most common substances contributing to a child’s death were opiates and marijuana, according to CFR.
There was also a 30% increase in the suicide rate from 2019 to 2020.
Findings show there was a 5% decrease in abuse or neglect-related deaths from 2019 to 2020. The report states of the 95 children who died from abuse or neglect, 66% of the children had prior involvement with a CPS agency.
The Arizona Child Fatality Review Program reviews all child deaths to determine what steps could have been taken, if any, to prevent each fatality.
Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
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