Removing firearms from homes and restricting the sale of handguns in communities will help to counter the destructive effects of gun violence on the lives of children, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in a new policy statement.
The announcement reaffirms AAP's commitment to the regulation of firearms and their manufacture and to the education of parents and caregivers about the risks to children when guns are present in the home.
The AAP advises child health care professionals to advocate for the "strongest possible" legislation and regulation of gun sales and permits and to support law enforcement efforts to keep guns out of the hands of minors. Pediatricians should counsel parents about the dangers of allowing children to have access to guns in the home; recommend the use of trigger locks, gun safes, and locking storage boxes to keep firearms away from children; and advise parents to remove guns from the home if their children or adolescents have mood disorders, substance abuse problems, or a history of suicide attempts.
The AAP also supports restoration of the ban on the sale of high-powered assault weapons to the general public.
Firearm-related deaths, including those from homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury, are rated as 1 of the top 3 causes of mortality among US children aged from birth to 19 years.
Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention Executive Committee. Firearm-related injuries affecting the pediatric population. Pediatrics. 2012. Epub ahead of print.
MORE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
A recent flight causes the editor-in-chief to reflect on the sheer volume of information available to new parents.
Persistent loud snoring is linked to toddler behavior problems
The first study known to examine the relationship between the persistence of snoring and behavioral functioning in preschool-aged children found that persistent loud snoring is associated with increased rates of problem behaviors.
ADHD, cigarette smoking, and substance abuse: An intoxicating combination
One of the most feared outcomes in children and adolescents with ADHD is the development of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, referred to here as substance use disorders (SUD).
Heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents: Normal variant or a bleeding disorder?
Menstruation is a normal part of adolescence, but for girls with excessive bleeding, it can be associated with significant morbidity.
The risks of heavy backpacks on schoolchildren
Aerobic training has a dose-response effect on insulin resistance in overweight children.
A 19-month-old boy with fever and lymphadenopathy
At the beginning your call night, you receive a sign-out from the emergency department (ED) of a 19-month-old, full term, previously health boy with 5 days fever and neck swelling.
AAP updates flu vaccine recommendations
The AAP has issued new guidelines for the prevention and control of influenza in children.
Compliance with an asthma care discharge plan decreases readmissions
Investigators at a children's hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, demonstrated that implementation of a standardized care process model (CPM) for hospitalized asthmatic children results in a delayed but significant and sustained decrease in hospital asthma readmission rates.
Obesity epidemic claims latest victims: Preschoolers
National surveillance data find that more than one-fourth of preschoolers aged 2 to 5 years are now overweight or obese.
Ten-week-old boy presents with multiple brown spots
The mother of a healthy 10-week-old boy brings him to your office for evaluation of multiple brown spots on his skin. She noticed the first when he was 2 months old, and other spots have developed on his arms, back, and legs. She has been on the internet and wants to know whether he could have neurologic complications.
Suicide tops all causes of US deaths from injury
Suicide rates increased significantly in children and young people from 2000 to 2009 leading to new suicide prevention strategies.
Parents underestimate children's secondhand smoke exposure
In a study conducted in the pediatric clinics of a major public urban hospital, investigators documented that 55% of almost 500 children were exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS), even though only 13% of their parents reported such exposure.
