BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — There is very grim news from Kern County’s Child Death Review Team. During the last five years, accidental death among Kern’s youngest population increased 86%.
And natural death among Kern residents 18 and younger increased 80%, according to a study by the team. Suicide is up 60%.
Although the percentage increases are huge, raw numbers are less dramatic.
A total of 49 zero-to-17-year-olds died in 2017. Sixty-six died in 2021.
The report covers five years, 2017 to 2021 and the deaths of 265 young people. The report does not reflect the full impact of the fentanyl epidemic.
The numbers are in a report that will be presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
