LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pediatric hospitals across the United States are speaking up against injuries most prevalent in their communities.
Whether it's a drowning, head trauma from a bicycle crash or a child improperly restrained in a car seat, the one thing each of these have in common is they are all preventable.
Including the overwhelming number of children sent to the emergency room every year with gunshot wounds.
2020 marked the first time firearm-related deaths surpassed motor vehicle crashes for children.
Louisville doctors said the majority of the time, it's an accident, with guns found loaded and unlocked inside the home.
According to the Academy of Pediatrics, there is a gun in one out of every three homes with children.
"So far this year, Norton Children’s has treated 61 with gunshot wounds, of these, 70% are under 14, and a quarter are under the age of 10," Chief Nursing Officer Erik Martin said. "The majority of these, nearly 80% are accidental."
Friday morning, Norton Children's staff gathered for a candle-lighting ceremony to honor its pediatric gunshot patients and others suffering from injury.
To help prevent some of these injuries from happening, the hospital hosts car seat checks and "Stop the Bleed" classes throughout the year.
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