A call for federally funded pediatric firearm injury prevention research

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Firearm-related injuries are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States, yet research on firearm injury prevention receives significantly less federal funding compared to other major pediatric health concerns. A new paper published in Pediatrics underscores the critical need for an enhanced federal investment in firearm injury prevention research to address the rising rates of fatalities and injuries.

“Expanding the field of firearm injury prevention research is crucial to reverse the devastating trends of firearm violence in the United States,” says lead author Lois Lee, MD, MPH, from the Division of Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Increased funding will enable researchers to develop diverse, multi-disciplinary research infrastructure to better understand the risks and protective factors of firearm violence, design community, hospital, and school-based interventions, and create comprehensive databases to inform policy and reduce firearm-related injuries and deaths.”

Historical data analysis conducted by Alex Butler, MD, Chief Resident at Boston Children’s Hospital, reveals the limited federal funding patterns for firearm injury prevention research. In the early 1990s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded rigorous research on firearms, but the passage of the Dickey Amendment in 1996 restricted federal funding for gun violence research. In response to rising mass shootings in the 2000s, Congress allocated $25 million in 2020 for firearm injury prevention research, divided equally between the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, funding has remained stagnant at this level through 2024.

The authors draw a parallel to compare the substantial progress made in pediatric cancer research, which federal funding has significantly supported. Over the past 25 years, this investment has led to major advancements that have resulted in a 30% reduction in childhood cancer fatality rates and significant improvements in the quality of life for children during and after treatment. “Federal investment has driven major progress in fields like pediatric cancer and motor vehicle safety,” said senior author Nancy Andrews, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “A similar commitment to firearm injury prevention research is essential to addressing this public health crisis.”

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About Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston Children’s Hospital is ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is a pediatric teaching affiliate of Home to the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, Boston Children’s has led the way in life-changing pediatric innovation since its founding in 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 14 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 37 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators across ~1M square feet of lab space comprise the research community. From bench to bedside, scientists work on preventing, treating, and curing diseases that impact both children and adults, no matter how rare or complex the condition. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children’s is now a 491-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care.

With nine satellite locations and the Martha Elliot Health Center, Boston Children’s also provides 24/7 pediatric care at five hospitals including Beverly Hospital, Winchester Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, South Shore Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital.Boston Children’s also includes: Affiliation with Franciscan Children’s Hospital, including 112 beds and 700+ employees; Boston Children’s Primary Care Alliance, a robust network of 33 pediatric practices serving patients and families throughout Massachusetts; The Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Boston Children’s Hospital (PPOC) with more than 400 physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants devoted exclusively to pediatric primary care, in close collaboration with subspecialists at Boston Children’s in more than 90 locations throughout Massachusetts; Boston Children’s Health Physicians (BCHP) which is the largest pediatric multispecialty group in New York's Metropolitan Area, the Hudson Valley, and Connecticut, including nearly 300 clinicians in more than 60 locations.

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