Childhood injuries in North Carolina: a statewide analysis of hospitalizations and deaths.

We report the nature and causes of childhood injuries leading to hospitalization or death in North Carolina. Based on an 89 per cent sample of 1980 hospital discharges of children between 0 and 19 years of age, the overall annual rate of trauma-related hospitalizations was 80 per 10,000. The rate varied from 119 per 10,000 for the 15-19 year age group to 56 per 10,000 for children between ages 5 and 9. Hospitalization rates are lower than those reported elsewhere, although death rates, based on a seven-year period, are higher in the data reported here. Potential reasons for these differences are suggested.