Citation

Hashemi R, Okazi A. Iran. J. Forensic Med. 2008; 14(49): 41-46.

Affiliation

Legal Medicine Organization, Human Rights, Shahid Beheshti University Tehran, Iran; Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (hashemi525@yahoo.com).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Legal Medicine Organization Islamic Republic of Iran)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Background and Aim: The probe into the reasons causing children and juvenile deaths, and eliminating the preventable cases can play an important role in the health and productivity status of a society. According to WHO, every person under 18 years old is defined as a child. Considering the existing differences in the distribution of the causes leading to the deaths among children and juveniles in different countries, and regions, it is necessary that the information related to each region be regarded to lead the way for macro-policy making. Materials and Methods: This study is retrospective, cross-sectional that covers the causes of death among the children and juveniles of 0-18 years of age who were referred to the autopsy theater of Tehran Forensic Organization in 2005 to investigate the causes of death. That results analyzed by SPSS. Findings: Out of the total of 760 children and juveniles studied, 34.6% were female and 65.4% were male. Different types of traumas were found to be the most common cause of death, including 58.4% of cases. It is then followed by miscellaneous reasons, poisoning, asphyxia to rank as common causes of death among the children and juveniles studied. The study found significant differences in the causes of death resulting from trauma, poisoning and miscellaneous factors among the cases aging below 11 and those above it. Conclusion: Deaths caused by trauma are highly prevalent in our country. This rate has also been reported high in some neighboring countries; however, it bears some differences in the distribution of the causes of death in other countries with that rate common among the children in Iran. This necessitates taking fundamental nationwide measures to prevent accidents, which lead to the death of children and the juveniles.