Salon.com > American Academy of Pediatrics

Pediatricians take on the gun lobby

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:15:00 +0000

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has renewed efforts to pressure Congress to pass gun control, calling reform an issue of public health, not politics.

The measures the group is advocating for include an assault weapon ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines, increased background checks and mandatory waiting periods for all firearm purchases.

The doctors are hoping to bring a public health perspective and peer-reviewed data to a gun debate marred by ideology and conducted along political fault lines: “What we need is a call to action, to really look at how we can change public policy that is not often affected by data,” Dr. Danielle Laraque, who heads the pediatrics department at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, told a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington, D.C.

“Where there are more guns in the United States, there are more people dying,” added Dr. Matthew Miller of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center. “There are more women dying, there are more men dying, and there are more children dying. We are talking about a lot of people who are dying when they live in places with a lot of guns and homes with guns.”

Doctors prescribe a dose of marriage equality

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:42:00 +0000

You know your homophobic relative back home who keeps gassing on at every family holiday about how marriage equality will destroy the American family? Today would be an awesome day to call her. But you might want to tell her to sit down.

In a very satisfyingly worded statement Thursday, the American Academy of Pediatrics – that's "60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults" – officially made policy its endorsement of same-sex marriage. Citing its support for couples "regardless of sexual orientation" as "the best way to guarantee benefits and security for their children," the AAP's Benjamin Siegel issued a statement that "there should be equal opportunity for every couple to access the economic stability and federal supports provided to married couples to raise children." Fancy that. Stability. It's good for children.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Gay marriage helps kids

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:57:00 +0000

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced its support for gay marriage for the first time on Thursday, saying that allowing same-sex couples to marry is in the best interests of children with gay parents.

From the academy’s policy statement:

On the basis of a review of extensive scientiﬁc literature, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) afﬁrms that “children’s well-being is affected much more by their relationships with their parents, their parents’ sense of competence and security, and the presence of social and economic support for the family than by the gender or the sexual orientation of their parents."

The statement draws on a four-year review of scientific literature on same-sex marriage, with the policy's authors finding that many of the studies, while varied in methodology, came to the same conclusion:

Pediatricians: Make Plan B available to teens

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:24:00 +0000

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement today recommending pediatricians make prescriptions for emergency contraception available in advance to girls under the age of 17. The morning-after pill can prevent pregnancy if used within five days of intercourse, but is only available without a prescription to women 17 and older under current federal policy.

According to Bill Alpert, chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, requiring a visit to the doctor can prevent many teens from using emergency contraception.

It's just common sense that requiring a prescription is a barrier. If an august and respected medical group like AAP is suggesting providing emergency contraception to minors is OK, that is a big deal.