Children and teenagers in the United States have died at higher rates than young people in 13 other wealthy nations every year since 1975, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in Pediatrics. The gap has now lasted nearly five decades. It is widest among older teens, especially boys ages 15 to 19.
For parents, the finding does not mean most American children are in danger, since deaths in this age group remain rare. It does mean a U.S. child is more likely to die before adulthood than a child in a comparable country, and that the U.S. has been improving more slowly than its peers for years.
