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. 2017 Jul;140(1):e20163486.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-3486. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

Childhood Firearm Injuries in the United States

Katherine A Fowler  1 , Linda L Dahlberg  2 , Tadesse Haileyesus  3 , Carmen Gutierrez  4 , Sarah Bacon  5
Affiliations

Childhood Firearm Injuries in the United States

Katherine A Fowler et al. Pediatrics. 2017 Jul.

Erratum in

Abstract

Objectives: Examine fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries among children aged 0 to 17 in the United States, including intent, demographic characteristics, trends, state-level patterns, and circumstances.

Methods: Fatal injuries were examined by using data from the National Vital Statistics System and nonfatal injuries by using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Trends from 2002 to 2014 were tested using joinpoint regression analyses. Incident characteristics and circumstances were examined by using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System.

Results: Nearly 1300 children die and 5790 are treated for gunshot wounds each year. Boys, older children, and minorities are disproportionately affected. Although unintentional firearm deaths among children declined from 2002 to 2014 and firearm homicides declined from 2007 to 2014, firearm suicides decreased between 2002 and 2007 and then showed a significant upward trend from 2007 to 2014. Rates of firearm homicide among children are higher in many Southern states and parts of the Midwest relative to other parts of the country. Firearm suicides are more dispersed across the United States with some of the highest rates occurring in Western states. Firearm homicides of younger children often occurred in multivictim events and involved intimate partner or family conflict; older children more often died in the context of crime and violence. Firearm suicides were often precipitated by situational and relationship problems. The shooter playing with a gun was the most common circumstance surrounding unintentional firearm deaths of both younger and older children.

Conclusions: Firearm injuries are an important public health problem, contributing substantially to premature death and disability of children. Understanding their nature and impact is a first step toward prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Firearm death rates among children aged 0 to 17 years, 2010–2014. Firearm deaths are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision external cause of injury codes. All firearm deaths include firearm suicide (X72-X74), firearm homicide (X93-X95, U01.4), legal intervention firearm deaths (Y35.0), unintentional firearm deaths (W32-W34), and firearm deaths of undetermined intent (Y22-Y24). Rates of firearm suicide are for children aged 10 to 17 years.
FIGURE 1
Firearm death rates among children aged 0 to 17 years, 2010–2014. Firearm deaths are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision external cause of injury codes. All firearm deaths include firearm suicide (X72-X74), firearm homicide (X93-X95, U01.4), legal intervention firearm deaths (Y35.0), unintentional firearm deaths (W32-W34), and firearm deaths of undetermined intent (Y22-Y24). Rates of firearm suicide are for children aged 10 to 17 years.
FIGURE 2. Fatal firearm injury rates by intent and year, children aged 0 to 17 years, United States, 2002–2014. Data sourced from CDC/NEISS and US Census Bureau for population estimates. Statistical significance of regression results is indicated as * P < .05.
FIGURE 2
Fatal firearm injury rates by intent and year, children aged 0 to 17 years, United States, 2002–2014. Data sourced from CDC/NEISS and US Census Bureau for population estimates. Statistical significance of regression results is indicated as * P < .05.
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Comment in

  • Confronting the Firearm Injury Plague.
    Nelson EW. Nelson EW. Pediatrics. 2017 Jul;140(1):e20171300. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-1300. Epub 2017 Jun 19. Pediatrics. 2017. PMID: 28630117 No abstract available.

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