Alarming Surge in Child and Teen Mortality Rates in the US.

The mortality rate for children and teens in the US surged in 2020 and 2021, driven by fatal injuries from firearms, drugs, and cars, according to a study. Covid-19 mortality rates doubled among children between 2020 and 2021, but still only explained about a fifth of the total increase in mortality in 2021. Firearms accounted for nearly half of the increase in mortality in 2020. Injury mortality increased 23% between 2019 and 2020 among those aged 10 to 19, including homicides that jumped 39% and drug overdoses that more than doubled. Research and policy efforts are urgently needed to address the underlying causes.