RE: CDC & guns as a "risk factor"
CDC compiled data on firearms related deaths under the auspices of "accidental deaths" and a public health perspective.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/FI...EATH_RATES.pdf
They've done that for awhile and the data is cited RE accidental deaths versus a specific risk factor. I remember there being some public commentary in the past as Congress sought to limit funding for CDC's research into guns. Certain members of CDC have made statements if I recall correctly that supported gun control from the public health perspective.
RE: Guns and children
The social service people have taken recommendations from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that guns are a "risk factor" for accidental death within the home.
AAP: AAP supports a
number of specific measures to reduce the destruct
ive effects of guns in the lives of children and
adolescents, including the regulation of the manu
facture, sale, purchase, ownership, and use of
firearms; a ban assault weapons; and expanded regula
tions of handguns for civilian use. To prevent
gun-related death and injuries, the AAP recommend
s that pediatricians provide firearm safety
counseling to patients and their parents.
http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-an...rearms_slr.pdf
These are from their policy board versus the medical practice recommendations. From my limited pediatric exposure I remember a good number of practices asked about guns - were they in the home and how stored. That was really the extent of the interaction RE firearms.
Some providers are rather militantly anti-gun in pediatrics but I don't think outside the normal cross-section of the general populations. From my anecdotal experience, a good number of ER physicians are anti-gun but a similar number are avid enthusiasts. My subjective and biased opinion is that practitioners' firearm opinions generally reflect the normal distribution of society regardless of professional societies' opinions/ guidance statements.
I think the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) echos similar counseling recommendations as AAP. They may even cite AAP.
Back on topic, I have to commend those of you who went through this adoptions charade because no way could I tolerate that invasive of a procedure from social service departments. It sounds like punishment for a noble endeavor.