The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the largest professional association of pediatricians in the United States. It is headquartered in DuPage County, Illinois, and maintains an office in Washington, D.C. The AAP has published hundreds of policy statements, ranging from advocacy issues to practice recommendations.
The Academy was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. , it has 67,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas. Qualified pediatricians can become fellows (FAAP). The Academy runs continuing medical education (CME) programs for pediatricians and sub-specialists. The Academy is divided into 14 departments and 26 divisions.
It has the largest pediatric publishing program in the world, with more than 300 titles for consumers and over 500 titles for physicians and other healthcare professionals. These publications include electronic products, professional references, medical textbooks, practice management publications, patient education materials, and parenting books.The AAP News is the academy's official news magazine, and Pediatrics is its flagship journal.
The AAP issues a weekly report on COVID-19 cases in the United States. States began reporting COVID-19 cases on September 17, 2020. The AAP tracked 587,948 child COVID-19 cases, 5,016 child hospitalizations, and 109 child deaths.
In 2006, the Academy received a grant from the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI) to plan and establish a Center of Excellence dedicated to the elimination of children's exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke. The Richmond Center was established to help institutionalize pediatric tobacco control activities at AAP and was named in honor of Julius B. Richmond, MD, Chair of the FAMRI Medical Advisory Board and former Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. The Center provides the education, training, and tools needed to protect children from tobacco and secondhand smoke.
The Academy has published hundreds of policy statements, ranging from advocacy issues to practice recommendations.