Background In France, fatal home and leisure injuries represent the first cause of death of people under 15 years of age: 266 deaths in 2006, according to the national data of mortality.

Objective To determinate the risks factors of fatal home and leisure injuries and increase the knowledge conditions of these deaths.

Method A specific survey mortality by home and leisure injuries among children under 15 was set up, which collected all deaths in an area of 20 million inhabitants (out of 63 million in France) from 1 January to 31 December 2009. These deaths were identified in the death certificates, with the help of the social security, medical doctors, firemen, press review. A questionnaire was sent to medical certifiers who had information about the injury, like product, activity, place, mechanism, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of victims.

Results Preliminary results, on 30 September, showed a similar distribution with national data by cause of death: 67 children under 15 years died, among them by drowning (19), fire (12), falls (12), suffocations (11). Boys were more often victims than girls (sex-ratio=1.5); half of these children died on the place of accident. Detailed information was collected on the precise circumstances of each injury, like the involved person, the lack of surveillance, badly used or dangerous products, etc.

Conclusion This survey is an original attempt to obtain precise information on fatal home and leisure injuries among children. This survey will lead to propositions to collect more information via death certificates.