LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN PLOVDIV MUNICIPALITY OF REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA


Authors: Svetlozar Spasov, Stela Yancheva, Teodora Gudelova
Keywords: child, adolescent, causes of death, homicide, mortality

Abstract:
The aim of the study is to research child mortality in Plovdiv municipality of the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2012-2021. The subject of the study are children aged 0 to18 years old, who were autopsied in the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “St. George” Plovdiv for the period 2012-2021 selected by the method of retrospective cohort study. 188 autopsies of children 0-18 years old were processed. Of these 188 cases, 58 (30.85%) were children under 1-year-old, 31 (16.49%) were children 1-5 years old, 15 (7.98%) were 6-9 years old, 21 (11.17%) were 10-14 years old and 63 (33, 51%) were 15-18 years old. During the studied period 12 cases of child homicides (6.38%), 119 (63.3%) accidents, 41 (21.81%) cases of sudden death, 15 (7.98%) suicides and 1 (0.53%) case of medical malpractice were registered. During the studied ten-year period, a decrease of 0.18% in child and adolescent mortality was reported. Accidents are the most common and a leading cause of death in all age groups except for the age group 1-6 months old, in which the leading causes of death are non-violent (sudden death). Road-traffic accidents are the most common accidents in childhood, followed by drowning. Males are more likely to be affected by accidents (70.59%) than females. Respiratory diseases are the most common cause of non-violent death in childhood and adolescence (79.31%).Download article