Homicides of children in EBR double compared to 2021

The homicide deaths of kids aged 10 and younger have already surpassed the number in 2021, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.

As of Aug. 8, 12 children aged 0-5 have died of homicide, double compared to all of last year.

In 2021, there were 113 total deaths with six homicides (5 percent).

In comparison, Livingston & West Baton Rouge parishes had no homicides involving children 10 and under for 2022.

In the United States, homicide was the fourth leading cause of death for children from age 1 to 10 with 516 deaths in 2020,  the most recent year for which CDC data is available.

Unintentional injury, cancerous tumors and congenital anomalies were the top three causes.

In Louisiana, the homicide rate was 19.9 per 100,000 in 2020, according to the CDC. That was the second highest rate in the country, behind Mississippi at 20.5.

Another factor that has in kids’ death in the parish is the number of kids who have died of suffocation because of unsafe sleep environments.

Accidental suffocation happens when something limit’s a baby’s breathing. Examples are when soft bedding or blankets are against their face or when a baby gets trapped between two objects, such as a mattress and a wall.

According to the National Institute of Health, over 85 percent of all deaths from accidental suffocation in bed happen when a child is younger than six months old.

Some ways provide a safe sleep environment to protect a child from suffocation, according to kidshealth.org

• Always lay an infant down on their back on a firm mattress.
• Never place an infant on soft surfaces such as a comforter, fluffy rug, or soft mattress.
• Never put an infant down on a mattress covered with plastic.
• Keep blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, or plush toys out of the crib.
• Don’t use crib bumpers.
• Make sure the baby’s crib mattress is the right size and fits snugly in the crib. This keeps a baby from getting caught between the mattress and the crib sides.
• Make sure the crib sheet fits snugly on the mattress to keep it from coming off and getting wrapped around the baby’s head. You also can buy crib sheet holders to keep sheets in place.
• Don’t put an infant to sleep on an adult bed, couch, or another soft surface.
• Infants should not share a bed with other children or adults. Bed-sharing can cause a baby to be smothered.