1Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Sao Paulo University, Brazil
2Undergraduate Medical Students
3Assistant Professor ABC Faculty of Medicine, Brazil
*Corresponding author: Ivan Dieb Miziara, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Sao Paulo University, Brazil
Submission: January 22, 2022; Published: February 10, 2022
ISSN : 2576-9200Volume6 Issue3
Background: Mortality due to external causes in children under 12 years of age is an important topic that
has been little studied in Brazil. Children are often exposed to the risk of accidents. In addition, due to
his immaturity, curiosity, and intense growth and development, the child is often prone to accidents and
defenseless and vulnerable to violence. This study aims to research and individualize the violent causes
of death of children under 12 years of age in the State of São Paulo in 2016. And to specify which type of
violence, which type of external cause, in this age group.
Methods: A retrospective study (descriptive cross-sectional document) was developed through reports
of autopsy exams performed at the Legal Medical Institutes (IML) of the State of São Paulo in 2016. The
Institute only allows access to the data five (5) years after the facts occurred.
Results: Two hundred seventy-seven (277) cases of children aged 0 to 12 years with violent deaths in
the State of São Paulo were analyzed. Through the binomial test with p <0.001, boys (62%) had more violent
deaths than girls (38%). The most frequent causes of death in our series were Mechanical Asphyxia
(48.4%), followed by Head Trauma (27.1%). Violent deaths occured more frequently in male children,
with 1-year-old children being the most affected. Unlike the Health Information System for Notifiable Diseases
(SINAN) of the Ministry of Health, the highest number of notifications of Cases of Domestic, Sexual,
and other forms of violence in 2016 occurred in females. The female sex stood out more at the ages of 0
and 6 years old, while the male one stood out at the ages of 4 and 9 years old.
Conclusion: The findings of our study are relevant, as they demonstrate that the violent deaths of children
under 12 years of age are primarily accidental (choking, being run over, drowning) and can be prevented,
provided that public policies for prevention and education are indeed implemented.
Keywords: Cause of death; Child; External causes