Injury Prevention

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 1–17 in the U.S. and Texas.¹The leading cause of unintentional injury deaths varies by age group:¹

Infants: suffocation due to unsafe sleep environments
Children 1–4 years: drowning
Children 5–17 years: motor vehicle traffic accidents
Young children and teens: unintentional poisoning and firearm injuries

The Center for Community Health has created programs and coalitions to prevent unintentional injuries.

In the eight-county service area, 1 in 5 children is not always buckled up while in a vehicle, and rates vary by age group and decrease with older children.2 One in 8 children received emergency care for an accidental injury. This represents approximately 147,770 children ages 0–17 (12%) in the eight-county service area. 1 in 10 school-age children missed school due to an accidental injury, with the highest percentage among 12–17 year olds.¹

Get Involved

Injury Prevention Collaborative

Injury Prevention Collaborative is dedicated to helping families across North Texas to prevent unintentional childhood injuries. Our collaborative focuses on child passenger safety, drowning prevention, gun safety and poison prevention. We know that being a parent or caregiver can be stressful, and we are here to offer safety tools, education and support for families.
Collaborative information

1 Community Health Needs Assessment Report. (2021), pg.77. Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas.

2 Community-wide Children’s Health Assessment and Planning Survey (CCHAPS) (2021). Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas.