Evaluation of Childhood Deaths in Istanbul, Turkey

The aim of this study is to determine the features of and changes in the medico-legal childhood deaths that occurred in Istanbul, Turkey; and to contribute to the establishment of a database on childhood deaths. In this study, the childhood deaths were evaluated with respect to age, sex, causes of deaths and the origins. The records of the autopsies performed in the Council of Forensic Medicine in Turkey between the years 1997-2001 were reviewed. 1,568 of 14,467 deaths were found to be in the childhood age range of 0-18. 1047 (66.8%) of those children were male of gender and 521 (33.2%) were female. The commonly encountered origins of childhood deaths were sudden-unexpected causes in early childhood, accidents in the playing age, homicide and suicide in the adolescents. Among all the deaths, 571 cases (36.4%) were seen in the age group of 0-6 years. Accidents account for 619 cases (39.3%), blunt traumas (156 cases) present the most common cause of deaths. In order to prevent childhood deaths, preventive and curative health services should be strengthened, providing training programs for parents, and should be a concern of the government bodies and civil society. Meanwhile, starting with the efforts of support and training; all measures must be taken in order to activate the United Nations Child Rights Contract.