American kids are less likely to reach adulthood than foreign peers

"The study compared infant and child deaths in the U.S. with the figures from 18 other high-income nations between 2007 to 2023. U.S. infants, children and teens were about 1.8 times more likely to die before reaching adulthood compared with young people in peer countries, researchers discovered. For babies, the two causes of death with the biggest gaps between the U.S. and the other countries were prematurity being born too early and sudden unexpected infant death."

"Since 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens. Firearm death rates among U.S. kids have more than doubled since 2013. Many of the deaths from prematurity, firearms and sudden unexplained infant death are preventable, three physicians argued in an op-ed published after the new report. Those three causes of death are up to four times more likely among Black youth than their white counterparts."

Between 2007 and 2023, infants, children and teens in the U.S. were about 1.8 times more likely to die before reaching adulthood than peers in 18 other high-income nations. Infant mortality gaps are largest for prematurity and sudden unexpected infant death. Child and teen mortality gaps are largest for firearm-related incidents and car crashes. Since 2020, gun violence became the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, and firearm death rates more than doubled since 2013. Many deaths from prematurity, firearms and sudden unexplained infant death are preventable. Mortality for these causes is up to four times higher among Black youth, and the mortality gap accounted for nearly 316,000 excess child and teen deaths between 2007 and 2023. Chronic conditions and behavioral health measures such as obesity, early puberty, sleep problems, activity limitations, depressive symptoms and loneliness increased over the period, and overall life expectancy and child health outcomes remain worse than in peer nations.

Read at stateline.org