Overview

• Published in Pediatrics, the study examined nearly 7,000 pediatric firearm-related hospital encounters from 2016–2021 across Florida, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin.
• Children living in very low-opportunity neighborhoods had dramatically elevated risk of hospitalization, reaching as high as 20 times the odds seen in the most advantaged areas.
• Unintentional shootings accounted for roughly 57–63% of hospitalizations, with assaults comprising 32–39% and self-inflicted injuries 1–7%.
• Hot spots clustered in disadvantaged areas, with 28% of ZIP codes in very low-opportunity neighborhoods identified as hot spots versus 5% in very high-opportunity areas.
• Researchers recommend safe storage, firearm safety education and Child Access Prevention laws, and they note the data include only cases that reached acute-care hospitals.