BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — At the first 2023 meeting of the Kern County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, January 10, one of the more prevalent topics discussed was child deaths in Kern County from 2017 to 2021. Official numbers report that more than 600 children died in Kern County during those five years, with accidental deaths being the most prevalent type of child death.
Brynn Carrigan, Director of Kern County Public Health, broke down the report's findings.
"634 child deaths occurred. 265 were reviewed by the Child Death Review Team and included in this report. 102 of those deaths were determined to be accidental, 38 were determined to be homicide, 32 were determined to be natural, 22 were determined to be suicide, and 71 were undetermined," said Carrigan.
Given these numbers, accidental deaths were the highest with an increase of 86 percent, and child suicide rates increased by 60 percent.
"Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence, as people who have experienced violence, including child abuse, bullying, or sexual violence, have a higher suicide rate," Carrigan said.
While the covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and school closures had a huge impact on children's mental health, Kern Behavioral Health Director Stacy Kuwahara says the restrictions actually lowered suicide rates in children, but those rates rose again once things reopened.
"In 2021, as things started to open up and our kids actually returned to school, we saw a sharp increase," said Kuwahara.
Kuwahara notes that it's important for kids to get out more, create better sleeping habits, and spend time with loved ones.
The leading cause of unexpected child deaths in Kern County, accounting for 58 of the 71 undetermined deaths, is sudden and unexpected infant deaths, often attributed to SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Carrigan describes just how common these deaths are.
"Out of the 109 deaths in this age range, 62, or 59 percent, had an unsafe sleeping environment present at the time of death," said Kuwahara.
Pediatricians and infant care experts with Safe to Sleep, a national public awareness campaign focused on educating parents on safe sleeping habits for infants under 12 months of age, recommend placing babies on their backs when putting them down for a nap or for the night, removing loose or soft items like blankets or stuffed animals, and keeping the baby's crib in the parent's bedroom for at least the first 6 months.
The Child Death Review Team also has recommendations for lowering the county's child death numbers in the future, including increasing community awareness about child deaths, learning to identify certain signs of self-harm and other mental health issues, and becoming more involved with community child and family support and well-being agencies and organizations.
