Childhood injuries in Japan.

Approximately 2000 children aged between 0 and 14 years die annually of accidents and their sequelae in Japan. Moreover, accidents and their sequelae are the leading cause of death in the 1-4 year, 5-9 year and 10-14 year age groups. Accidental drowning and traffic accidents account for 2/3 of all such deaths. Measures for preventing injury in these age groups are clearly necessary, since the mortality rate due to accidents and their sequelae in children 0 to 4 years old is higher in Japan than in European countries. It is considered that the lives of 824 infants aged between 0 and 4 years might be saved annually in Japan if the mortality rate could be reduced to a level comparable to that in Sweden by accident prevention and control. Therefore, a systematic approach for prevention of childhood injury is a high priority in Japan.