The Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel's 2013 report highlights concerning statistics, including a higher infant mortality rate in Georgia compared to the national average, with significant disparities among racial groups. Key recommendations include promoting safe sleep practices, enhancing driver education, and improving communication among mental health providers, parents, and schools to reduce youth suicides. The report emphasizes that many child fatalities are preventable and calls for coordinated community efforts to address child safety and welfare.

1. GEORGIA CHILD FATALITY REVIEW
PANEL
ANNUAL REPORT
CALENDAR YEAR 2013
SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS
Arleymah Gray, MPH
CFR Prevention Specialist

2. MISSION
• Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel provides:
• The highest quality child fatality data
• Training
• Technical assistance
• Investigative support services
• Resources
• The CFR Panel promotes more accurate identification and
reporting of child fatalities, evaluates the prevalence and
circumstances of both child abuse and child fatalities, and
develops and monitors the statewide child injury prevention
plan

3. IMPORTANT FINDINGS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
• The infant mortality rate in Georgia continues to be higher than the
national rate, and the rate for African-Americans continues to be higher
than the state rate
• Sleep-related deaths continue to be the leading cause of death for infants
in Georgia
• Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for
children over age one
• African-Americans continue to have higher incidence of deaths compared
to other race/ethnic groups
• There was an increase in the number of reviewed deaths due to
maltreatment, motor vehicles, and fire/burns
• CFR committees reported that most reviewed deaths were preventable

4. Infant Mortality, Georgia/US Comparison,
by Race/Ethnicity
All
Races/Ethnicity
White, Non-
Hispanic
African-
American, Non-
Hispanic
Hispanic, All
Races
GA, 2010-2012 6.6 5.4 10.7 4
US, 2010 6.1 5.2 11.5 5.3
6.6
5.4
10.7
4
6.1
5.2
11.5
5.3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Deathsper1,000LiveBirths

5. Number of Reviewed Sleep Related
Deaths by Location, GA, 2013 (N=139)
1
2
2
4
6
6
13
14
26
65
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Playpen
Floor
Unknown
Chair
Carseat
Other
Bassinette
Couch
Crib
Adult bed

6. Trend of Top Five Locations for Sleep
Related Deaths, GA, 2011-2013
80
25
19
14
2
85
23
16
7
2
65
26
14 13
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Adult Bed Crib Couch Bassinette Carseat
2011
2012
2013

7. Sleep Related Deaths by Age in Months,
GA, 2013 (N=139)
19
24
33
21
19
9
5
3 2 2 2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. Age of Caregiver for Sleep Related Infant
Deaths, when known, GA, 2013 (N=132)
16
87
24
3 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Age Under
20
Age 20-29 Age 30-39 Age 40-49 Age 50-59

9. CFR Panel Recommendations
• Create a consistent and coordinated campaign regarding
infant safe sleep to better align with the American
Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations
(published online October 2011)
• Incorporate infant safe sleep education and how to
address safety concerns related to infant safe sleep
practices as part of the training and continuing education
for child welfare professionals, early childhood education
providers, health care providers, and home visitors

10. Causes of Reviewed Unintentional Injury-
related Deaths, GA, 2013 (N=179)
Motor vehicle
related, 102,
57%
Drowning, 26,
15%
Fire, 24, 13%
Asphyxia, 8,
4%
Fall/Crush, 5,
3%
Other Cause,
5, 3%
Poison, 5, 3% Weapon, 4, 2%

11. Demographics of Reviewed Unintentional
Injury-related Deaths, GA, 2013 (N=179)
Cause Infant 1 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 17 Total
Motor vehicle
related
5 19 16 16 46 102
Drowning 1 8 5 4 8 26
Fire 1 11 8 4 24
Asphyxia 6 2 8
Fall/Crush 4 1 5
Other Cause 1 3 1 5
Poison 1 4 5
Weapon 1 1 2 4
Total 8 52 31 26 62 179

12. Recommendations
• CFR Panel:
• Continue to enforce the Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility
Act (TADRA) to enhance young driver education and reduce risk
associated with newly licensed drivers. Encourage parents and
caregivers to model appropriate driving behavior – no texting,
eating, applying makeup, or other distractions while operating a
motor vehicle
• Support the activities of Safe Kids Georgia, and encourage
development of Safe Kids coalitions in every county
• CFR Committees:
• Provide child safety seat education to health care providers,
parents, and caregivers
• Media campaigns; continue PSAs on child passenger safety

13. Demographics of Reviewed Suicide
Deaths, GA, 2013 (N=40)
4
7
2
5
1
1
17
1
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
African-
American Male
Hispanic Male
Multiracial Male
White Male
African-
American…
White Female
10 to 14
15 to 17

14. Reported Risk Factors for Reviewed
Suicide Deaths, GA, 2013
18
11
12
6
3
3
12
10
7
0 5 10 15 20
Family Discord
Argument/Break-Up GF/BF
School-Related issues
Delinquency History
Drug/Alcohol
Bullying Victim
Prior Mental Health Services
Prior Maltreatment
Substance Abuse History

15. Recommendations
• CFR Panel:
• Require newly licensed K-12 educators and special service providers
(nurses, school psychologists, school counselors and social workers)
to complete suicide prevention trainings
• Increase funding for the Suicide Prevention Program to implement the
following activities: 1) expand the program’s statewide community
grant program to more counties and at higher funding levels; 2)
expand the implementation and evaluation of means restriction
education training at hospitals statewide; and 3) expand
implementation and evaluation of school-based suicide prevention
programs that promote resilience and positive youth development as
protective factors from suicide statewide
• CFR Committees:
• Improve communication between parents, mental health providers,
and schools to monitor at-risk kids
• Bring mental health providers into schools

16. Decedents with Maltreatment History, GA,
2013 (N=123)
Infant Age 1-4 Age 5-9
Age 10-
14
Age 15-
17
Total
White Male 12 6 2 0 11 31
White Female 5 4 1 4 2 16
African-
American Male
9 5 3 5 12 34
African-
American
Female
7 10 4 4 3 28
Hispanic Male 2 1 2 1 1 7
Hispanic
Female
0 1 0 0 1 2
Multiracial
Male
2 0 0 0 1 3
Multiracial
Female
0 2 0 0 0 2

17. Causes of Death where maltreatment was the
direct cause or contributing factor, three-year
trend, GA, 2011-2013
20
3 2 1 1 1 1
22
7
3 2 2 1 1
28
8
2 1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2011
2012
2013

18. Causes of death for decedents with an
open CPS case, GA, 2013 (N=24)
Sleep-
related, 8,
33%
Medical, 7,
29%
Homicide,
3, 13%
Motor
Vehicle-
related, 3,
13%
Suicide, 1,
4%
Drowning,
1, 4%
SUDC, 1,
4%

19. Recommendations
• CFR Panel:
• Encourage availability of affordable childcare for all families in
every community
• CFR Committees:
• Increase community education on domestic violence and child
abuse

20. FOR MORE
INFORMATION…
www.gbi.georgia.gov/CFR