Comparing Types of Child Fatality Review in the U.S.

Child fatality review programs consist of multidisciplinary teams of professionals, agencies and community members with an interest in caring for and protecting children. While the purpose of all child fatality reviews is to conduct a comprehensive, multidisciplinary review of child fatalities to better understand how and why children die, there are distinct types of reviews in the United States that each use findings to take action to prevent other fatalities and improve the health and safety of children in different ways. Each brings a unique perspective, incorporating different stakeholders and methodologies and playing different roles in identifying patterns, gaps in services, and potential areas for improvement within the broader context of child health and safety. Three major types of review now consistently used across the U.S. include Child Death Review, Fetal Infant Mortality Review, and Citizen Review Panels. These differ in their history of development, statutory authority, financial support, nature of cases reviewed, processes, and reporting to stakeholders. This article is an introduction to the major different types of community-based death review to help practitioners understand and participate more productively in these processes to prevent further fatalities.