Firearm injuries and children: Position statement of the American Pediatric Surgical Association
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Read the article on jpedsurg.org ↗Article · May 2019 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
APSA advocates for a comprehensive public health approach to pediatric firearm injuries, the second leading cause of death in children presenting to trauma centers. The organization supports evidence-based prevention policies including universal background checks, assault weapon restrictions, and child access protection laws, while promoting research funding and physician counseling rights.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Firearm injuries are the second most common cause of death in children who come to a trauma center, and pediatric surgeons provide crucial care for these patients. The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) is committed to comprehensive pediatric trauma readiness, including firearm injury prevention. APSA supports a public health approach to firearm injury, and it supports availability of quality mental health services. APSA endorses policies for universal background checks, restrictions on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, strong child access protection laws, and a minimum purchase age of 21 years. APSA opposes efforts to keep physicians from counseling children and families about firearms. APSA promotes research to address this problem, including increased federal research support and research into the second victim phenomenon. APSA supports school safety and readiness, including bleeding control training. While it may be daunting to try to reduce firearm deaths in children, the U.S. has seen success in reducing motor vehicle deaths through a multidimensional approach – prevention, design, policy, behavior, trauma care. APSA believes that a similar public health approach can succeed to save children from death and injury from firearms. APSA is committed to building partnerships to accomplish this.
Type of Study
APSA Position Statement.
Level of Evidence
Level V, Expert Opinion.