Mortality and Hospitalization Due to Unintentional Drowning in Children and Adolescents in Brazil: A Literature Review

Abstract

Unintentional drowning remains a major public health problem in Brazil, particularly among children and adolescents. This narrative review aimed to synthesize evidence on mortality and hospital admissions due to drowning in individuals aged 0 to 14 years in the country, identifying epidemiological patterns and temporal trends. A bibliographic search was conducted between July and September 2025 in the SciELO and PubMed databases, using DeCS/MeSH descriptors related to “drowning,” “child,” “adolescent,” “hospitalization,” and “mortality.” Original studies, reviews, and epidemiological bulletins published between 2000 and 2025, in Portuguese or English, addressing mortality and/or hospitalizations for drowning in Brazil were included. Qualitative analysis categorized findings into mortality, hospital admissions, epidemiological characteristics, and regional trends. Results show that drowning is the second leading cause of external death among children aged 1 to 14 years, with higher risk among boys and those aged 1 to 4 years. Young children are more likely to drown in domestic settings, whereas adolescents are more exposed to natural water bodies such as rivers and lakes. Although mortality rates have shown a slight decline in recent decades, they remain high and display significant regional disparities, underscoring the need for multisectoral preventive strategies.