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Safety & Prevention

Gun Safety: Where We Stand

​The most effective way to prevent firearm-related injury to children is to keep guns out of homes and communities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports gun-safety legislation. We believe that assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines should be banned.

We recommend further that handguns and handgun ammunition be regulated, that restrictions be placed on handgun ownership, and that the number of privately owned handguns be reduced.

Firearms should be removed from the environments where children live and play, but if they are not, they must be stored locked and unloaded. Safe storage practices can reduce the risk of death or injury, but loaded firearms and unloaded firearms and ammunition represent a serious danger to children.

More information:

Last Updated
7/5/2022
Source
Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 7th Edition (Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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