Campaign increases likelihood parents will ask about guns before a playdate
"Gun violence is a public health epidemic in the United States, but a simple question or short conversation about gun safety can protect children from this danger," said lead author Nina Agrawal MD, FAAP . "This study shows us that parents are far more likely to ask about guns in a home before a playdate if they feel empowered by their pediatricians to do so, and asking can save precious young lives." The AAP recommends that physicians talk to families about gun safety as part of routine injury-prevention guidance, just like they counsel families about child safety seats, safe sleep and water safety. The ASK campaign encourages caregivers to ask family and friends if there is a gun where their child plays and, if a gun is present, to ensure that it is locked with the ammunition separately. The study was conducted in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York, a neighborhood with high rates of gun violence. Nine percent of participants said they knew someone who ...