Professional association of pediatricians.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a professional association that represents and serves approximately 48,000 pediatricians in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, over 34,000 of whom are also board-certified Fellows of The American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). Its mission is to promote the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults through advocacy, access to health care, research, service, and public and professional education.

The AAP was founded in June 1930 by a small group of pediatricians who met in Detroit in an attempt to establish an independent pediatric forum to address the special developmental and health needs of children. Its first members wanted to revolutionize children's health care by developing preventive health practices such as immunizations and regular health exams. Today these have become standard pediatric health care practices.

Currently the AAP includes 30 committees with such diverse interests as injury and poison prevention, disabled children, sports medicine, nutrition, and child health financing. The Academy also comprises 41 sections consisting of more than 19,000 members who represent the whole spectrum of pediatric specialties as well as 7,000 pediatric residents.

Among the AAP's professional education activities are postgraduate education courses, biannual scientific meetings, seminars, and statements from its committees and sections. In addition, it publishes Pediatrics, a monthly professional journal, a continuing education journal, and the Pediatrics in Review, AAP News, the monthly membership newsletter. Among its public education efforts are manuals on different topics, patient education brochures, Healthy Kids Magazine, a series of child care books written by AAP members, and the Healthy Kids cable TV show. The Academy also executes original research, promotes its funding, and pursues federal and state legislative advocacy on behalf of children's health needs.

See Also

Pediatrician.

For Further Study

Organizations

American Academy of Pediatrics
Address: 141 Northwest Point Blvd.
P.O. Box 927
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60009-0927
Telephone: (708) 228-5005