Between 1970 and 2000, the official infant homicide rate in the US increased from 4.3 to 9.1 murders per 100,000 children under age one, according to the report.
"Almost one infant homicide per day was reported in the year 2000 (349 total)," the report states.
"Although tragic, the numbers of children who die each year from infant homicide do not indicate that a huge social epidemic is taking place. Nonetheless, the data offer important information that may be useful in trying to reduce the numbers of infants who are victims of homicide each year," said Brett Brown, director of social research for the organization and a project director of Child Trends DataBank.
Brown explained that, most likely, two factors play a role in the increase in the number of infant homicides. For one, more babies are being born to unwed teens, who are known to be at highest risk for infant homicide, Brown told Reuters Health in an interview.
Secondly, the reporting of infant homicides has become more accurate over the last 30 years, Brown pointed out
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Nothing kills more teenagers than motor vehicle crashes (45% of people unbelted in a car crash are killed while 60% are killed when unbelted in a pickup truck accident), and more often than not, if a teenager is involved, they were not buckled up. According to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more teenagers and children are killed in motor vehicle crashes than from any other cause and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from 4 through 33 years old.
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In 2000, motor vehicle crashes killed 2,343 children age 14 and under -- about six kids every day. Nearly 300,000 more children -- almost 800 every day -- were injured
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There were an estimated 5,300 pedestrian deaths and 85,000 injuries.Firearms are the leading cause of fatal injury in suicides and homicides in the US.
Firearm injuries are the second leading cause of death in young people, 10 to 24 years of age.
Everyday, 16 American children under the age of 20 are killed and many more are injured by guns.
Homicide is the second leading cause of death for persons 15-24 years of age and is the leading cause of death for African-American and Hispanic youth in this age group.
Nearly 90 percent of homicide victims 15 to 19 years of age were killed with a firearm.
Almost 90 percent of accidental shootings involving children are linked to an easy-to-find, loaded handgun in the house. Over 1.2 million latchkey children have access to guns when they come home from school.
