Abstract

Background: Determination of mortality causes precisely, is very important in developing countries. Mortality rate is a helpful index for evaluating the quality of health in every society. However, recording of life events as well as mortality rates are difficult and conducted only in a few developing countries which account for a large percentage of the world's mortality. Thus, it was attempted to conduct a study on mortality cases of under 18 year's old corpses referred to the dissection laboratory of forensic medicine in Tehran from 2014 to 2015. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, all cases of accidental deaths less than 18 years old which were referred to forensic medicine in Tehran have examined. All mortality data between April 2014 and April 2015 was completed by a questionnaire. This data were classified by age, sex, cause of referral, type of death, underlying disease, and cause of death based on autopsy results and positive findings of autopsy, pathology, and toxicology. Results: In 2014 and 2015, 495 and 508 cases of under 18 years old were sent to the dissection laboratory of forensic medicine in Tehran, consequently. The mortality rate of 520 males and 483 females was recorded and it has risen from 2014 to 2015. The most common mortality causes are accidents, suspicious death, suicide, and car accidents. Conclusion: The results showed that the mortality rate in males was higher than females, which is in line with the global findings. This may be due to cultural issues or the vulnerability of males. Study on causes of deaths, which recorded over two years showed that deaths in Tehran province are due to accidents, falls, strangulation, life-threatening poisoning and electrocution, birth disorders and suicides, which requires more studies on these subjects. © 2019 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.