Guns Responsible for Hospitalization of 20 Youths Per Day

Gun violence continues to be a problem in the United States, with statistics showing that roughly every hour, one child or teenager is injured by a firearm. With information like this, scientists and health officials alike are hoping to reduce gun violence and injuries.

"Every day, 20 of our children are hospitalized for firearms injury, often suffering severe and costly injuries, clearly shows that this is a national public health problem," stated the director of the Division of Family and Child Advocacy at Boston Medical Center and study co-author, Robert Sege reported by USA Today.

Lead study author Dr. John Leventhal of the Yale School of Medicine notes that more than 7,000 children are hurt badly enough that hospitalizations may be required.

For their study, researchers examined data that was collected nationally via a representative group of children and young adults up to the age of 20 known as the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The most recent data collected in 2009 was releated in 2011. Researchers found that the total number of gun-related hospitalizations were approximately 7,391, with another 3,000 children and teenagers dying due to the inability to properly treat a wound before reaching the hospital.

The researchers found that the most common types of injuries at 52 percent were open wounds.

Most gun-related injuries were among younger age groups, typically from 15 to 19 years old. There were also some racial disparities, with approximately 47 percent of all hospitalizations black children and young adults.

"This study reinforces what we know from the mortality data. We have an extraordinary health burden in our youth associated with firearms injuries," said Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. "When you look at firearms-related mortality in the United States compared to other high income nations, our rates are roughly 10-fold higher. This is a very unique and abnormal problem that such a wealthy nation should have such high mortality and morbidity in youth related to firearms."

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Pediatrics.