JAMA Pediatrics

JAMA Pediatrics
Title	JAMA Pediatrics
Discipline	Pediatrics
Former names	Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Publisher	American Medical Association
Country	United States
Frequency	Monthly
History	1911–present

JAMA Pediatrics is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association that focuses on clinical research, public health, and policy relevant to child and adolescent health. The journal disseminates original research, systematic reviews, clinical trials, and policy analyses aimed at clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in pediatrics and related fields. It functions within networks of academic publishers, professional societies, and indexing services, contributing to translational research across pediatric subspecialties.

History

The journal traces its roots to early 20th-century periodicals that addressed infant welfare and school health, evolving through editorial stewardship linked to institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. During the 20th century its predecessors intersected with initiatives from American Academy of Pediatrics, public health efforts by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and campaigns by organizations like March of Dimes and UNICEF. Renamings and consolidations reflect broader trends exemplified by titles such as New England Journal of Medicine mergers and editorial reorganizations akin to those at The Lancet. Throughout the Cold War era the journal navigated debates mirrored in forums like World Health Organization meetings and policy shifts following reports from Surgeon General of the United States panels. Modernization in the 21st century paralleled digital transitions at publishers including Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, and Springer Nature while aligning with standards set by groups like the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and policy essays that intersect with pediatric cardiology, neonatology, adolescent medicine, pediatric oncology, developmental pediatrics, and infectious disease. Contributions often reference clinical guidelines from bodies such as the American Heart Association, screening recommendations by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, and vaccine policy from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Research topics have included vaccination programs influenced by World Health Organization initiatives, injury prevention informed by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards, and nutrition studies connected to guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture. The journal also engages with legal and ethical frameworks reflected in rulings from courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States and policy instruments like the Affordable Care Act that affect pediatric care delivery.

Editorial Leadership and Peer Review

Editors-in-chief and editorial boards have typically been drawn from academic centers such as Stanford University School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital Boston. Peer review follows processes comparable to protocols advocated by the Committee on Publication Ethics and reporting guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses group. The journal coordinates statistical review and ethical oversight consistent with requirements from institutional review boards at universities like Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and research funding bodies including the National Institutes of Health and Wellcome Trust. Editorial decisions have been influenced by citation practices tracked by services such as Clarivate Analytics and developments in open science promoted by initiatives like the Open Science Framework.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and abstracting services including MEDLINE, PubMed Central, Embase, and Scopus. Citation metrics are tracked by products from Clarivate Analytics such as the Science Citation Index, with bibliometric analyses appearing in platforms like Google Scholar and Dimensions (database). Library catalogs at institutions like the Library of Congress and university systems including University of California and University of Oxford list archives and holdings. Archiving collaborations and digital preservation align with standards from organizations like CLOCKSS and Portico.

Impact and Reception

The journal’s articles have influenced clinical practice guidelines from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and policy recommendations by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. High-profile publications have been cited in policy debates involving legislators in the United States Congress, debated at professional meetings such as the annual conferences of the Pediatric Academic Societies and referenced in mainstream outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. Its impact is measured alongside peer journals such as Pediatrics (journal), The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, and BMJ Paediatrics Open and through metrics produced by Clarivate Analytics and Scopus.

Notable Research and Controversies

Notable papers have addressed childhood vaccine safety, pediatric obesity trends, sudden infant death syndrome, neurodevelopmental outcomes after neonatal interventions, and the mental health impacts of social media on adolescents. Debates around interpretation and policy response to influential studies involved stakeholders including the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, advocacy groups such as Save the Children, and legal challenges in courts including the Supreme Court of the United States. Controversies have mirrored those in biomedical publishing—data transparency disputes involving repositories like Dryad (repository), authorship disputes adjudicated with reference to Committee on Publication Ethics guidance, and public disagreements covered by outlets such as Science (journal) and Nature (journal).

Category:Medical journals