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This Patient Page describes safety measures parents can take to protect children from gun violence.

Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in the US.

Guns are even more lethal than motor vehicle crashes. The reasons for this gun violence increase in children are multiple, including a rapid rise in gun purchases, an increase in depression and anxiety in children and adolescents, and widespread stress from a global pandemic. The causes of these injuries and deaths vary by age. Younger children are more commonly injured unintentionally. Curious toddlers can find guns and fire them quickly. Older children and adolescents are more likely to be harmed by homicide or suicide.

The most important factor for children being injured or killed by guns is having a gun in the home where a child lives or the car where a child rides. Adults must make sure their guns are stored safely to prevent access by a child or adolescent. There are gun locks, safes, and other techniques to promote safer storage. As an additional safety measure, caregivers should strongly consider removing guns entirely from the home or vehicle, especially when children are older than about 11 years. These youths know how to find and access guns, even if they are stored safely. Considering the increase in mood disorders and risk of suicidal behaviors in older children and adolescents, they should not be around guns.

Parents and caregivers should follow the Be SMART framework to improve gun safety:

S: Secure all guns in your home and vehicle.

M: Model responsible behavior around guns.

A: Ask about unsecured guns in other homes.

R: Recognize the role of guns in suicide.

T: Tell others to Be SMART.

Lead poisoning usually causes no immediate symptoms, but over time, lead causes damage to developing brains, so children exposed to lead (even at low levels) can have slowed growth and development and problems with learning, behavior, hearing, and speech that may be permanent. Adults with lead poisoning are at increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, decline in cognitive function, anxiety, depression, and death.

In Canada, choking or suffocation accounts for about 40% of unintentional deaths among children younger than 1 year.
Round and cylindrical food or other foreign bodies (e.g., hot dogs, sausages, grapes, marbles) pose the greatest risk. Uninflated balloons are hazardous owing to their ability to form a complete seal of the airway.

Skin lesions of the face, trunk, and extremities are commonly seen in the pediatric population. Although most of these lesions are benign, they can be locally destructive or interfere with normal development. Recognition and diagnosis of these lesions allow for timely workup and referral; treatment, if needed; and facilitation of parental discussions. The purpose of this article is to review common pediatric skin and soft-tissue lesions-or "lumps, bumps, and birthmarks"-to assist with diagnosis, workup, and guidelines for referral to pediatric plastic surgery. [Pediatr Ann. 2023;52(1):e23-e30.].