The 2007 UNICEF report, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, finds the United States ranks lowest of 21 developed nations surveyed in five out of six categories, followed by the United Kingdom. The United States has the lowest rate in child health and safety, and American children are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use and sexual activity.

Here in the United States, we already know that accidents are the number one cause of death among children ages 2 and above, and those under the age of 8 are more likely to sustain accidental injuries that result in death or disability. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control tell us that motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children, and drowning is the second leading cause among children 14 and younger.

Some 30 million children pay visits to emergency facilities and emergency rooms in the United State every year (American College of Emergency Physicians). At last count, each year more than 200,000 American children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries occurring on playgrounds (NIH), more than 260,000 kids are injured in motor vehicle accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), approximately 2 million preschoolers are exposed to poisons (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control) and approximately 3 million children who fall require emergency room treatment (American Academy of Pediatrics).