Guam to Establish Child Death Review Council

“The island is a step closer to establishing the Guam Council on Child Death Review and Prevention. A public hearing was held to hear testimony relative to Bill 62. There is an alarming infant mortality rate on Guam which in 2011 was more than twice the national mortality average. In the first three months of this year there has been a total of 7 child deaths not including the latest life claimed.

The Office of the Medical Examiner, Guam Early Learning Council, Public Health and, UH Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment and Related Disabilities gathered in support of the bills intent and  adamant that the creation of the CCDRP will play a significant role in data collection, examination, and analysis of information surrounding the death of a child which will lead to improved prevention strategies.”

Child death review council could be formed soon

[KUAM.com 4/3/13 by Ken Quintanilla]

Bill 62-32 can be viewed here.

“DATA collected by the Department of Public Health and Social Services shows that Guam’s child mortality rate is above the national average.
According to Terri Covington, director of the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Death, the child death mortality rate is almost twice the national average.
The local child death rate is 13.34 percent compared to the national rate of 7 percent. This is alarming considering the population of the island.
Covington, along with representatives from Child Early Learning Council subcommittee on child death review, presented findings on the child mortality rate to lawmakers last night at a roundtable meeting hosted by Sen. Dennis Rodriguez.
The intent was to promote legislation that will create a Child Death Review Board to prevent future deaths.
Preliminary data from 2012 show that 79 children died on Guam. In 2011, there were 84 child deaths.
“We’re looking at a systematic way to look at a child’s death to understand why it happened and prevent future deaths,” Covington stated in an interview. “It’s beneficial because they use findings to target and catalyze injury prevention and set up prevention initiatives.”
Margarita Gay, of DPHSS Project Bisita I Familia, compiled the data with the assistance of the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
The age group with the most deaths in 2012 were infants 1 year old and under, with 41 deaths. The leading cause of child death in 2012 was prematurity at 37 percent. Other causes included pneumonia, birthing complications, and other congenital conditions.
Gay said there is currently no breakdown of infant deaths by ethnicity. However, she did state that the deaths occur throughout the various ethnicities on Guam, with a higher rate occurring in the Chuukese population.
The age group with the second largest number of deaths was the 15-to-19-year-old group, with suicide being the leading cause of death at 27 percent. Other causes include motor vehicle accidents and other accidents.
Vice Speaker Benjamin J.F. Cruz informed the members of the CELC that he has been working on legislation that addresses neonatal care. He suggested that the group review the draft bill to see if changes could be made for the creation of a Child Death Review Board.”

Data shows Guam child deaths higher than national average

[Marianas Variety 1/10/13 by Joy White]

REFORM Puzzle Piece