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Child Fatality Prevention Team reports 24 deaths reviewed for 2023; state database reporting begins in 2026
Summary
The county’s Child Fatality Prevention Team reviewed 24 child deaths from 2023 and reported persistent causes including prematurity, illness, unsafe sleep and drownings; staff said North Carolina will enter local data into a national database starting January and highlighted a crisis referral form to connect bereaved families to services.
Kathleen Lane presented the Child Fatality Prevention Team’s annual report July 21, describing the team’s review of 24 child deaths that occurred in 2023 and efforts to reduce future fatalities.
Lane said reviews took approximately a year to assemble all records; the 24 cases included two drownings, two motor‑vehicle crashes, eight perinatal/prematurity cases, two birth defects, six illnesses, one homicide and three unsafe‑sleep deaths. Lane highlighted persistent challenges around unsafe‑sleep deaths and said the team continues outreach, distributes educational materials, promotes gun‑safety lock programs and is developing GIS‑based mapping of flood‑prone areas to improve signage.
Lane described a crisis referral form already shared with EMS, medical examiners and social workers that lists local support agencies and referral paths so families affected by a child death can be immediately connected with resources. She also noted a forthcoming change in January when North Carolina will begin submitting child fatality data to the national database, requiring additional documentation effort from local teams. Commissioners thanked the team and asked for continued outreach and coordination with public‑health partners and the Board of Health.
