MORTALITY DUE TO HOMICIDE IN CHILDREN - M EXICO, 1979-1990

A study of homicides in children under five years old was conducted in order to define the mortality panorama by this cause during 1979-1990 in Mexico. Trends of homicide mortality were analyzed, as well as the main causes by age and sex. Rate ratio (RR) by cause and sex were ana lized too. The variables were age, sex, year and external cause of int entional injuries which were analyzed according to the International C lassification of Diseases, 9th Revision E960-E969. The total number of deaths due to homicide were 2 939. Each day one children under five y ears of age died in Mexico due to homicide. The trend of homicide is b = 0.126. Thirty per cent of deaths occurred in children under one year old. Boys were most affected than girls in the causes by age: strangu lation < 1 year old RR 21, confidence interval (CI) 15-30; fire arm in two years old children RR 3.1 CI 2.0-5.7; drowning in three years old children RR 2.6 CI 1.7-4.8 and assault by other and unspecified means . Further research in the area and prevention should involve the use o f a multidisciplinary approach in considering the multiple causes and solutions to this problem.