Pediatricians at Henry Ford Health are stepping up to help protect children from unsecured guns.
Firearm-related injuries are the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S. Research shows that pediatricians could help reduce these tragedies by simply having a conversation with caregivers and offering gun locks.
Firearm safety is now a topic brought up during “well-child” visits. Research highlights the medical community’s role in preventing firearm accidents before they happen.
“We’re not asking families if they have a firearm per se, right, because we don’t care necessarily if they do. Our main goal is to make sure our kids are safe, and that if there’s a firearm, that it’s safely stored. So, that’s the conversation that we’ve been having with our families,” said Henry Ford Health pediatrician Dr. Bridget McArdle.
The study tested two approaches: A simple reminder to doctors and extra support to guide them through the conversation. Results showed that with additional support, participation increased. So, if you need a gun lock, you can get one at your child’s pediatrician’s office.
“It’s not a long conversation. Sometimes it turns into a longer conversation if they have questions, but generally, it’s either, ‘We don’t have a’ or ‘Ours is locked up,’ or ‘We’ve got a safe,’ but occasionally, somebody is like, ‘Oh, wow, yeah, I’ll take a lock.’ So, sure enough, we give them the lock and we give them information on how to use the lock and information about safe storage,” McArdle said.
It can be uncomfortable to talk about guns, but doctors say if you do it in a respectful way, one that puts the child’s health and safety at the center of the conversation -- families are very receptive.
“As a pediatrician, our job is to protect kids and so we want to do whatever we can to keep them safe. So, being able to have this conversation with our families and to be able to offer the locks I think is super important and it makes you feel like at least you’re doing something,” McArdle said.
The study was conducted in only two states, but the goal is to expand this effort nationwide and take the conversation beyond pediatric primary care to other healthcare settings.