INDIANA — Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver presented the state’s annual child fatality report to the Child Services Interim Study Committee at the Statehouse on Tuesday, offering a comprehensive look at injury-related deaths among Hoosier children and outlining prevention initiatives.
Dr. Weaver emphasized that external injury remains the leading cause of death among children both nationally and in Indiana. According to state data, 1,629 Indiana children ages 0 through 17 died from external injuries between 2021 and 2025. However, official figures indicate progress: annual injury deaths among children decreased by 100 in 2025 compared to 2021 totals.
While Lawrence County is covered by one of the 66 local Child Fatality Review (CFR) teams operating across all 92 Indiana counties to review individual local cases, specific county-by-county breakdown totals were not released in the report delivered to the legislative committee.
Leading Causes of Injury-Related Deaths
The report detailed the primary drivers behind youth injury fatalities in the state:
- Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUIDs): Served as the single leading cause of external injury death, claiming 455 lives over the five-year period. Transportation accidents and homicides followed as the second and third leading causes, respectively.
- Firearms: Stood as the leading cause of death specifically for children ages 1 to 17 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. State records showed 309 firearm-related deaths among Indiana residents in this group.
- Intent and Manner: Of the firearm-related fatalities, 87% occurred via suicide or homicide, while 8% were determined to be unintentional.
Prevention Recommendations and State Infrastructure
The presentation highlighted recommendations put forth by the statewide Indiana Child Fatality Review (CFR) committee, which coordinates with 66 local review teams covering all 92 Indiana counties to examine cases and identify interventions.
To address these trends, the state health department and CFR committee recommended:
- Infant Safe Sleep: Distributing educational safe-sleep materials, standardizing messaging provided to families, and expanding training opportunities for community organizations.
- Drowning Prevention: Supporting community water-safety initiatives to curb pediatric drownings.
- Youth Mental Health: Expanding the Handle with Care program to additional counties to strengthen trauma-informed responses, support youth mental health, and reduce pediatric suicides.
