Study finds alarming number of US kids exposed to guns at home

An alarming study out of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis sheds light on number of kids who are around firearms in U.S. households.

A press release by the university notes, "A survey of parents in Missouri and Illinois reveals that about half of the children in the families queried spent time in homes that have firearms. However, few reported talking about gun safety with their children's pediatricians."

RELATED: Gun ownership in the US

The study found that "one-third of the parents who own firearms indicated they did not want to be asked about household firearms and would take offense to or ignore physician advice to remove guns from the home."

Study authors point out that pediatricians consider it an obligation to discuss gun safety with parents but many are unsure how to approach the topic with families, and in some cases, there are legal restrictions.

Jane M. Garbutt, one of the researchers, notes that based on the findings of the study, the team is developing a communication strategy for the pediatricians.

Garbutt suggests that "...the key to effective communication may be to avoid direct questioning about firearm ownership and instead to focus on ensuring safe storage of firearms to all parents...If we treat firearm safety like we do other safety-proofing precautions, it removes judgment."

According to the latest available CDC data, gun-related incidents claimed lives of nearly 2,500 children and adolescents in 2013.