{
  "abstract": "Background Knife-related deaths in children present a serious public health challenge. This study reports the demographics and preinjury, injury and postinjury factors associated with death in children and young people (CYP), under the age of 18 years, who died of knife wounds in England between 2019 and 2024.Methods A retrospective cohort review of the English National Child Mortality Database between April 2019 and March 2024. Rates of death were corrected for population size using the 2021 census. Preinjury, injury and postinjury factors associated with death are reported descriptively.Results 145 CYP died of knife wounds. The mean age was 14.4 years (SD 4.2) and 90.3% (n=131) were male. The rates of death per 100 000 CYP, per year were highest in children of ‘Black/Black British’ ethnicity (1.40 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.86)), with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 13.29 (95% CI 8.23 to 20.00), compared with CYP of ‘White’ ethnicity. Children living in the most deprived areas, had a greater than seven times higher risk of death (IRR 7.48 (95% CI 3.22 to 17.29), compared to CYP living in the least deprived areas. Of the 57 cases available for detailed analysis, injuries to the chest and neck were responsible for the fatal injuries in 75.9% of cases (n=44) and 60.3% (n=35) died before reaching hospital. A thoracotomy was performed in 56.9% (n=33) of cases. Prior to death, 75.4% (n=43) had been known to social services and 57.9% (n=33) had experienced domestic violence and abuse. Neurodiversity or mental health concerns were reported in 50.9% (n=29) of CYP.Conclusions Death of CYP secondary to knife wounds occurred in all regions of England. Many children are exposed to adverse childhood experiences before death and known to statutory services. The identification of interventions to decrease the risk to children from knife violence remains a priority.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Emergency Department, North Bristol NHS Trust, Westbury on Trym, UK",
        "Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Tom Roberts"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "National Child Mortality Database, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK",
        "Neonatology, NHS North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "David Odd"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Emergency Department, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "John Coveney"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Academic Department of Military Emergency Medicine, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Stacey Webster"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Bristol School for Policy Studies, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jade Levell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "National Child Mortality Database, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sylvia Stoianova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "National Child Mortality Database, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Vicky Sleap"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "National Child Mortality Database, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Tom Williams"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Emergency Department, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, UK",
        "University of Bristol Population Health Sciences, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Robin Marlow"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK",
        "National Child Mortality Database, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK",
        "The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Luyt"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Emergency Department, North Bristol NHS Trust, Westbury on Trym, UK",
        "Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Edward Carlton"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Preinjury, injury and post-injury factors leading to death in children and young people who were victims of knife crime in England between 2019 and 2024: a review of the National Child Mortality Database",
  "uid": "0b6df11d-376a-5883-8a6f-511ea53fbb62"
}