2024 NC Resident Child Deaths

Table 2: Leading Causes of Child Death by Age Group: Ages 1 to 4

Back to 2024 Child Deaths

Rank Cause # of Deaths Percent
1 Unintentional Injuries not related to Motor Vehicles 43 27.2%
2 Motor vehicle injuries 18 11.4%
3 Homicide 14 8.9%
4 Congenital anomalies (birth defects) 13 8.2%
5 Cancer 10 6.3%
6 Diseases of the heart 4 2.5%
7 Pneumonia & influenza 3 1.9%
8 COVID-19 2 1.3%
9 Acute bronchitis & bronchiolitis 1 0.6%
9 Cerebrovascular disease 1 0.6%
9 Complications of medical and surgical care 1 0.6%
9 Conditions originating in the perinatal period 1 0.6%
9 Nutritional deficiencies 1 0.6%
9 Septicemia 1 0.6%
9 Tuberculosis 1 0.6%
  All other causes (Residual) 44 27.8%
  Total Deaths - All Causes 158 100%

*Leading causes of death are generated from a list of 51 causes of death categories developed by the National Center for Health Statistics to promote comparability in analyses of mortality.

For deaths under one year of age, a list of 72 causes of death was used. See Appendices for the ICD-10 codes for these lists of causes.

Prepared by NC Department of Health and Human Services, Title V Office in Collaboration with the State Center for Health Statistics, 17 APR 2026.