The American Academy of Pediatrics is celebrating 95 years of caring for children. Since its founding, the Academy’s goal has been to “ensure that ALL children have the opportunity to grow up safe and strong, with faith in the future and in themselves,” as proclaimed by AAP President Robert J. Haggerty (1984-1985).
One way the AAP achieves this goal is by offering a wealth of educational resources to its over 67,000 pediatrician members, including access to the Red Book, a report that guides the treatment of thousands of infectious diseases, as well as access to Pediatrics, the official AAP scientific journal. The Red Book has been a tool for pediatricians since 1938, while Pediatrics has been in publication since 1948. Today, Pediatrics is the most cited journal in pediatric medicine.
“We may credit our specialty of pediatrics with a degree of altruism not exceeded and rarely equaled by any other specialty in medicine.”- Dr. Joseph S. Wall, Presidential Address, 1944
Educating the public on the importance of medical care is of course a large part of what the Academy does. For instance, advocating for the importance of child car restraints (starting in the 1970s and 1980s), promoting the need for childhood immunizations to protect against infectious diseases, and publishing pamphlets on everything from breastfeeding to talking to your teen about the dangers of smoking.
To this day, the Academy remains one of the most vocal public advocates for children, our nation’s most enduring and vulnerable legacy. The Academy’s Washington D.C. office has advocated for children at the federal level since 1970 – fighting for children’s access to health insurance coverage, vaccines, and so much more. Current AAP President, Dr. Susan J. Kressly, anticipates this work will continue for many years to come, saying “It’s time to be bold. Bold with our voices, bold with innovative ideas, bold with our willingness to collaborate and change the future. Let’s be confident and fearless and ready to take risks together. Let’s...speak our truth until we have built a movement where we will change hearts and minds to invest in the future of our world by investing in children and those who care for them.”
The Portland, OR home of James W. Rosenfeld, where it is believed the Academy was first conceived during a gathering of pediatricians in July 1929.
Proceedings from the first AAP annual meeting in June 1931.
1801 Hinman, Evanston, IL. This building served as the first AAP headquarters, from 1955 until 1984 when the headquarters relocated to Elk Grove Village.
The first Red Book, 1938.
The Red Book, or the Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, was first published in 1938. This first edition included clinical guidance on the manifestations, etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of over 200 childhood infectious diseases.
The first Red Book was only 8 pages long and covered a mix of 18 topics, including the common cold, pertussis, and variola.
The Red Book went online beginning in 2003. Today, the Red Book is on its 33rd edition and covers over 1200 childhood infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
The AAP Elk Grove Village building, which served as Academy headquarters from 1984 until 2017 (when the Academy moved its headquarters to Itasca).
The Study of Child Health Services (1945-1948).
The Study of Child Health Services, which aimed to assess the amount, distribution, and quality of child health services across the nation, was initiated in 1945 and lasted three years. It was spearheaded by the AAP, with cooperation from the United States Public Health Service and the United States Children’s Bureau.
The study focused on four major areas: pediatric education, distribution, qualification, and activities of professional medical personnel. It required 160 field staff and cost $1 million (about $17 million today) to fund.
Surveys were distributed to 3,500 pediatricians, 75,000 general practitioners, 66,000 dentists in private practice, 5,500 U.S. hospitals and county health agencies, and 70 medical schools.
In 1948, the study results were published in a report titled The Road Ahead to Better Child Health. This study would serve as a “roadmap” to improving the health of children for many years to come.
HealthyChildren.org, launched in 2009.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is a trusted source of information on child health. Many parents look to the AAP for advice and guidance.
Launched in December 2009, HealthyChildren.org is the only parenting website backed by 67,000 pediatricians committed to the physical, mental, and social health and well-being of all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Here, parents will find evidence-based information to guide them on their parenting journey.
The "Back to Sleep" Campaign, launched in 1994.
The Academy has supported many campaigns that have significantly impacted the field of pediatrics and greatly improved the lives of children. In 1992, the Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS published a policy recommending that infants be placed on their backs to sleep.
The “Back to Sleep” campaign, launched in 1994, resulted in a dramatic increase in supine (lying on the back with the face pointing upwards) sleep position from 13% in 1992 to 76% in 2006. During this same time period, the rate of SIDS in the United States dropped by approximately 50%.
Today, this campaign is known as “Safe to Sleep.” Owing to the high incident rate of infant sleep-related suffocation deaths, this campaign has broadened its focus from just sleep position to include safe sleep conditions.
In 2022, the Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the Committee on Fetus and Newborn revised the policy statement on Sleep-Related Infant Deaths.
The revised statement provides new recommendations on non-inclined sleep surfaces, short-term emergency sleep locations, use of cardboard boxes as a sleep location, bed sharing, substance use, home cardiorespiratory monitors, and tummy time.
"Speak Up for Children" Campaign (1970s).
In the 1970s, the AAP launched the “Speak Up for Children” campaign, which advocated for car seats, child restraints, and impact-resistant bumpers. Eventually, the campaign also focused on accident prevention, nutrition, and immunization.
“First Ride, Safe Ride” Campaign, launched in 1981.
The “First Ride, Safe Ride” campaign, launched in 1981, followed close on the heels of the Speak Up for Children campaign. This campaign encouraged parents to transport their newborns home from the hospital in appropriate safety seating.
“First Ride, Safe Ride” was so successful that the program was expanded and renamed “Make Every Ride…A Safe Ride”. Ultimately the program led to all US states passing child passenger safety laws by 1985.
Last Updated
04/17/2025
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics