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8. Accidents a significant cause of death among those aged 1 to 14 in 2019

During 2019, altogether 95 children under the age of one died, while in the year before the number was 99 and ten years earlier 160. In 2019, infant mortality, that is, mortality among children aged under one, was 2.1 children per 1,000 live-born children (Figure 13). More than one half of children dying during their first year of life die during their first week of life and two thirds during the first four weeks of life.

The main causes of death among children under the age of one were perinatal reasons and congenial malformations (Table 4), while among children aged one to 11 months cot death was a significant cause of death in addition to congenial malformations. In 2019, there were 12 cot deaths, which was six more than in 2018. By contrast, accidental and violent causes of death are rare. In the past ten years, on average three children aged under one have died of them per year.

In 2019, there were 126 stillbirths, which was ten less than in the year before. Stillbirths have decreased clearly from the 1990s. At the beginning of the 1990s, there were still over 300 stillbirths per year. Stillbirths and deaths during the first week (or perinatal mortality) numbered 3.9 children per thousand births.

In 2019, a total of 70 children aged one to 14 died, which is almost the same as in the year before. The number corresponds to approximately eight deaths per 100,000 children. Over the past 20 years, the number of children dying has halved. Especially the number of deaths caused by neoplasms, congenial malformations and traffic accidents is clearly lower for children than twenty years ago. However, the positive development seems to have slowed down over the past ten years. In 2019, there were 16 accidental deaths among children aged one to 14, which was nine more than in the year before, but almost the same number as five years ago. In 2019, the most common causes of death for children were accidents (especially drownings) and cancers.

In 2019, there were five maternal deaths, i.e. maternal mortality was 11 deaths per 100,000 live-born children. In the past ten years, two to three women per year have died from reasons related to pregnancy or childbirth.

More information about mortality during the infant and perinatal periods can be found in Appendix table 3. More detailed information on causes of death among children aged under one and between one and 14 is available in the database tables.

Figure 13. Mortality during infant and perinatal period in 1992 to 2019

Table 4. Causes of death among children under the age of one 2000, 2005, 2010, 2018 and 2019

	2000	2005	2010	2018	2019
Total deaths	205	179	138	99	95
Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)	84	77	58	46	36
Congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)	78	61	40	23	32
Sudden infant death syndrome (R95)	18	19	17	6	12
Diseases of circulatory system and respiratory system (J00-J99, I00-J99)	4	5	5	3	2
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)	5	6	3	8	5
Other diseases and unknown	13	9	11	12	6
Accidents and assault (V01-Y89)	3	2	4	1	2

Source: Causes of death, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Airi Pajunen 029 551 3605, Kati Taskinen 029 551 3648, Jari Hellanto 029 551 3291, kuolemansyyt@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Updated 14.12.2020