Retrospective evaluation of childhood death cases autopsied between 2018-2022 in Adana

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the childhood death cases that were sent for autopsy to the Forensic Medicine Institute Adana Group Presidency within the five-year period from 2018 to 2022. Materials and methods: The cases were examined retrospectively at the Forensic Medicine Institute Adana Group Presidency between these years. The data obtained were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program. Results: Out of 5689 cases autopsied during the five-year period, 771 cases (13.6%) were identified within the 0-18 age range. The average age of the cases was 5.8, with 472 boys and 199 girls. The highest number of cases autopsied in one year was 241 cases (31.3%) in 2018, followed by 198 cases (25.7%) in 2019, 118 cases (15.3%) in 2020, 112 cases (14.5%) in 2021, and 102 cases (13.2%) in 2022. When looking at the distribution by age groups, there were 442 cases in the 0-4 age range, 79 cases in the 5-9 age range, 92 cases in the 10-14 age range, and 158 cases in the 15-18 age range. Examining the distribution of causes of death, deaths from natural causes were the most frequent at a rate of 47.6% (367 cases), followed by accident-related deaths at 35.8% (276 cases), then suicides at 7.8% (60 cases), murders at 5.8% (45 cases), and deaths of undetermined origin at 3.0% (24 cases). Conclusion: Among the natural death cases where a cause could be determined, infections were most common. To reduce infection-related deaths, it is necessary to promote breastfeeding to enhance the immune system, raise parental awareness about childhood vaccinations, ensure adherence to appropriate hygiene practices to prevent the spread of diseases, and facilitate access to healthcare services for early diagnosis and timely treatment of diseases. Among unnatural deaths, accident-related deaths are most frequent. Accident prevention strategies include educating parents not to leave children unsupervised, providing both pre-school and school-aged children with information on potential risks, how they can protect themselves, and whom to contact in emergencies. Keywords: Forensic medicine, autopsy, child deaths