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Trigger warning: suicide

Dr. Lois Lee’s work focuses on pediatric emergency medicine, health disparities, injuries, and health policy. This is grounded in her clinical work as a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School. At Boston Children’s Hospital, she is the Associate Program Director for Public Policy at the new Sandra L. Fenwick Institute for Pediatric Health Equity and Inclusion.

Eric Fleegler, MD MPH is a pediatric emergency physician and health services researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was a political science major at Brown University, received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. His clinical work includes attending to the emergency department as well as director of the sedation service at Boston Children’s.

[00:01] Opening Segment

• Eric and Lois share their to the pediatrics space
• Why they are focused on injury prevention?

[08:25] A Pediatrician’s Role in Firearm Injury Prevention

• How enormous is the firearm injury problem in the United States?
• Eric shares some important stats
• The importance of limiting gun access to kids
• The role of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals in preventing firearm injuries
• Lois explains

[18:01] Safe Storage of Firearms

• Lois talks about an interesting study about gun access among kids
• How pediatricians should talk to families about storing firearms in the home
• Listen to Eric and Lois
• Where firearms can be stored if there is a child with a mental health issue in the home

[28:24] The Right Approach to Talk About Firearms With Families

• Conversations about firearms are different from other common patient conversations
• Here’s why
• Storytelling is a great approach to forwarding advocacies on firearm injury prevention
• Legislations and regulations around the country are varied regarding firearm injury  prevention
• Eric tells us how this is affecting children’s safety from firearms

[39:24] Institutional Changes to Prevent Firearm Injuries and Death

• Connecting with government officials about firearm injury prevention
• Gun manufacturers cannot be sued for any injury or death
• Here’s what we can do
• Institutional changes are key to firearm injury prevention
• Lois explains

[48:10] How to Start Your Advocacy on Firearm Injury Prevention

• The severity of firearm-related deaths according to Lois
• Lois and Eric have messages for their younger selves
• Listen to their messages too!
• The role of the local chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics

[55:54] Final Takeaways

• Conversations about firearm injury prevention are painful and frustrating
• Stats to consider in relation to firearm-related injuries and deaths
• Children of color are at a higher risk of injuries and death from firearms
• Suicide and firearm-related injuries and death
• Access to firearms among children in the home
• The parents keeping their children safe and the children’s curiosity about firearms
• The role of pediatricians in preventing injuries and death from firearms
• Mental health and access to firearms among children
• Alternatives to keep the children safe aside from having guns
• Where to store firearms
• Being non-judgmental in talking with families about firearms
• It is legal to ask for information about firearms in the United States
• Talking with children regarding firearm storage
• Risk of having a firearm in the home among older kids or teenagers
• Gun laws make a difference
• Pediatricians should reach out to legislators 
• Firearms are leading causes of death and should be considered a serious matter
• If the family or patient has a gun, ask with respect and don’t make hasty assumptions
• Be brave in keeping the children safe from firearms

Key Quotes:

“Everything in pediatrics does have to be tailored to the age of the child in the family.” - Dr. Lois Lee

“As pediatricians, we have a special responsibility to children, and we have a special voice on their behalf.” - Dr. Eric Fleegler

Resources Mentioned:

• Firearm-Related Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population
• Firearms Injuries Involving Young Children in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Safer: Storing Firearms Prevents Harm
• AAP Healthy Children guidance on firearm safety for parents
• Moms Demand Action

Email [email protected] and [email protected] to connect with Eric and Lois, respectively. Check out https://hms.harvard.edu/ to know more about their work.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Pediatric Meltdown was listed as a Top 20 Pediatric Podcast on FeedSpot.  

If you’d like to connect with me, you can find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or email me at [email protected] or [email protected]. To learn more about me visit https://www.medicalbhs.com/

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