Pediatric Reports, Volume 17, Issue 6
2025 December - 24 articles
Cover Story: Accurate documentation of childhood deaths is essential for reliable mortality statistics and public health planning. This study reviewed 391 death certificates for individuals under 18 years issued in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, between 2015 and 2023. Errors were found in about one third of certificates, with large variation by specialty: obstetricians had the highest error rate and forensic physicians the lowest. Frequent problems included listing non-specific mechanisms such as cardiac arrest instead of an underlying cause and omitting congenital anomalies from the causal chain. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, deaths from acute diseases decreased, while deaths from congenital disorders increased. These findings underscore the need for enhanced training and regular review to enhance the accuracy of pediatric death certification. View this paper - Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list .
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