Featured Policy

This clinical report includes strategies for the prevention of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), updates for screening, as well as diagnostic and treatment recommendations.

Substantial gains have been made in school nutrition over the last 2 decades. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impact of food insecurity on child and adolescent nutrition, underscoring the value of school meal programs.

The purpose of this statement is to provide updated information about SSI medical and financial eligibility criteria and the disability determination process. Although pediatricians do not make the determination for SSI eligibility, this statement discusses the pediatrician’s role in alerting families to the possibility of SSI support, connecting families to resources to assist in the application process, and providing timely documentation required for the application.

This policy statement guides clinicians, families, community partners, injury-prevention professionals, and policy makers regarding evidence-based best practices for reducing pediatric drowning.

This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics summarizes evidence of gender pay inequities, their causes, and strategies to achieve compensation equity. It recommends transparent pay practices, supportive parental leave policies, equitable promotion policies, and regular compensation reviews to address these inequities.

The recommendations included in this policy statement are intended to support generic substitution and substitutions with interchangeable biosimilars in accordance with the FDA while promoting interdisciplinary interaction between pediatric prescribers and pediatric pharmacists.

To maintain safe, high-quality, coordinated care, pediatricians and other pediatric clinicians should understand the services available, as well as the potential benefits and limitations of different services offered in the local medical neighborhood. To align with these principles, acute care entities should adhere to core standards of continuity of care and best practices in pediatric-specific diagnosis and treatment.

This revision serves as an update of the 2013 policy statement, ”The Crucial Role of Recess.” It reemphasizes the crucial role of recess in child and adolescent development.

This report presents a reframe of mental and emotional development as part of whole health as opposed to a condition that should only be diagnosed and treated when something is “wrong.” The report also provides a stepped approach that may be helpful for addressing mental and emotional health concerns in pediatrics and acknowledges the advocacy that is needed to expand mental and emotional resources widely.

This statement updates the recommendations from the 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) practice guideline “Preparation for Emergencies in the Offices of Pediatricians and Pediatric Primary Care Providers.” 

This clinical report provides practical guidance for pediatricians and other physicians in navigating and resolving disputes when parents (or other appropriate surrogate decision makers for children) request interventions that are not medically recommended and are determined to be “potentially nonbeneficial.” 

This clinical practice guideline (CPG) panel updates the term “failure to thrive” to “faltering weight” and using z score cutoffs rather than percentiles as diagnostic criteria. When implemented, the CPG is intended to reduce confusion about diagnostic criteria and improve diagnostic accuracy, decrease overutilization of laboratory testing and imaging in children with faltering weight, and enhance health care utilization

This technical report on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the cornerstones of the entire children’s health care delivery system, complements the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement “Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program: Optimization to Promote Equity in Child and Young Adult Health.” The origin and intent of both the Medicaid and CHIP programs are outlined, and a current summary of issues that pertain to all children, including children with special health care needs (CYSHCN), is provided. 

This policy statement reviews the current challenges and provides guiding principles and recommendations for electronic health record developers, informaticists, clinicians, and policy makers on how to create an environment that promotes trust through the protection of confidentiality for adolescent patients.

The American Academy of Pediatrics proposes guidance for the pediatric periprocedural anesthesia environment. Essential components are identified to optimize the periprocedural anesthesia environment for the anesthetic care of infants and children.

Pediatric professionals are called to advocate for policy reforms, ensure culturally appropriate, sensitive, and trauma-informed care and community support, and engage in research to mitigate short- and long-term harm and promote resilience.

This policy statement highlights the unique cultural and regulatory considerations of research with AIAN populations and tribal nations. Community-based participatory research is explored as an avenue to engage in research with AIAN communities. 

This revised report updates the recommendations for the pediatrician’s role in the perioperative preparation of patients.

The 2026 recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule has been published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The schedule is revised annually to reflect current recommendations for the use of vaccines licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Any center or practitioner involved in newborn deliveries should have action plans for prompt recognition and initiation of therapeutic hypothermia or transfer of infants with possible HIE to a center providing therapeutic hypothermia. 

This clinical report provides an updated evidence-based set of recommendations for the long-term follow-up of patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) after discharge from initial hospitalization.

This policy statement describes some practical and medical-legal issues associated with caring for parents and provides guidance about when and how pediatricians can provide care in a way that minimizes liability risk, even when a physician-patient relationship may be established. "

Recommendations are provided for families, pediatric providers, practitioners, industry and policy makers, aiming to provide strengths-based solutions and promote a more child-centered digital ecosystem.

These updated recommendations are intended to serve as a resource for clinical and administrative leadership of emergency departments as they strive to improve their readiness for the emergency care of children of all ages.