U.s. Child Mortality Rates Remain Higher Than Other High-income Nations

At each age, children successful nan United States dice astatine higher rates than peers successful different high-income nations, according to a caller study from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Findings from nan study will beryllium presented during nan Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking spot April 24-27 successful Boston.

The study recovered that nan U.S. mortality disadvantage emerged arsenic early arsenic 1952 among older adolescents and has persisted for much than 5 decades. While some nan U.S. and adjacent nations made melodramatic gains complete nan 20th century, adjacent nations improved astatine a faster gait - peculiarly successful nan postwar decades. By 2023, nan spread was largest among 15- to 19-year-olds, pinch males successful that property group accounting for astir one-third of excess U.S. kid deaths. Between 1975 and 2023, nan U.S. knowledgeable astir 800,000 excess kid deaths compared to adjacent nations - balanced to astir 45 excess kid deaths each day. Findings constituent to teen injury, violence, and self-harm prevention, arsenic good arsenic maternal and babe wellness supports, arsenic high-priority argumentation targets.

We recovered that nan U.S. kid mortality disadvantage has persisted for decades and is now progressively concentrated among older adolescents, peculiarly males. These findings item an urgent request to reside preventable causes of death-especially injury, unit and self-harm-where nan U.S. continues to lag down adjacent nations."

Lauren J. Koenigsberg, programme head astatine Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead writer of nan study

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia antecedently reported that puerility mortality successful nan United States is 80% higher than successful 18 adjacent nations successful nan Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD18) (Forrest et al, JAMA, 2025). The existent study extends that activity by examining erstwhile this spread first emerged, really durable it has been crossed astir 9 decades, and which property and activity groups person contributed most.

Additional accusation is included successful nan beneath investigation abstract. The PAS Meeting connects thousands of starring pediatric researchers, clinicians and educators worldwide. View nan afloat schedule successful nan PAS 2026 programme guide.