Child and Adolescent Injury in Chicago - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Burns and injuries from getting hit by cars are the two most common causes of unintentional death among Chicago's children, according to "Child and Adolescent Injury in Chicago," a study by the Chicago-based Child Health Data Lab. The lab, part of the Child Advocacy Office of Children's Memorial Hospital, collects current and historical information on child and adolescent health. The lab analyzed data on accidents and found that "hot spots" of unintentional injury occur in a range of neighborhoods throughout Chicago. But intentional injuries from firearms and child abuse were more likely to occur in mostly African American communities. Alderman Billy Ocasio, who represents the 26th Ward on the Near Northwest Side, has introduced a Chicago City Council resolution calling for a 50 percent reduction in preventable injuries within the next decade. The resolution is pending. In a 1996 investigation and a 1999 follow-up, The Chicago Reporter found that almost nine of every 10 children who died in accidents in Chica go between 1992 and 1998 were minorities.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Community Renewal Society
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group