EDITOR

William F. Balistreri, MD
The Journal of Pediatrics
Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 3021
Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039
Monica L. Helton, Managing Editor
Phone: 513-636-7140; Fax: 513-636-7141
journal.pediatrics@cchmc.org
http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/

PUBLISHER

Elsevier Inc.
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010-1710
Rachel Sampson, Senior Journal Manager
Phone: (212) 462 1963; Fax: (212) 633 3853
r.sampson@elsevier.com

Editorial Policies

General Information
The Journal of Pediatrics publishes publishes Original Research Articles, Clinical and Laboratory Observations (case reports), reviews of Medical Progress in pediatrics and related fields, Grand Rounds (clinicopathologic conferences [CPC] or didactic discussions), Invited Commentaries, Special Articles, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Inc. (AMSPDC) commentaries, Insights, Letters to the Editor, and Supplements.

Duplicate/Prior/Overlapping Publication or Submission
Manuscripts are accepted for review with the stipulation that they are submitted solely to The Journal of Pediatrics. The Journal will not consider for review manuscripts that have been published elsewhere, even if in another language, or manuscripts that are being considered by another publication, or are in press. If any part of a manuscript by the same author or authors contains any information that was previously published, is in press, or is under consideration by another publication, a reprint of the previous article or a copy of the other manuscript should be submitted to the Editor, with a justification or explanation by the authors of any potential overlap or duplication. If the Editor is made aware of such overlapping or duplicate manuscripts that have not been disclosed by the authors, a written explanation will be requested. If, in the judgment of the Editor, the explanation is inadequate, the submission will be rejected. If there is no disclosure, an appropriate official of the primary author's academic institution will be notified.

Authorship Criteria
As a condition of authorship, all authors must have seen and approved the submission of the manuscript and be willing to take responsibility for the entire manuscript. Multi-authored manuscripts should have a declaration of each author's contributions in the letter of submission. If there are concerns about how all persons listed as authors meet the criteria for authorship according to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at www.icmje.org, we will request further information from the corresponding author and, if necessary, request written documentation of each person's work on the report. The names of persons who have contributed substantially to a study but who do not fulfill the criteria for authorship are to be listed in an acknowledgment that would be published in the online version of The Journal. If the byline includes the name of a study group, a list of all members of the study group must be provided and would be published in the online version of The Journal. All authors of a submitted manuscript must sign a form declaring that they meet the criteria for authorship according to www.icmje.org, approve the most recent submitted version of the manuscript, and take full responsibility for the manuscript. This form will be sent to the corresponding author when the Editors reach a decision that the manuscript may be potentially publishable. An explanation for the addition or removal of an author(s) must be provided with direct verification from the added/removed author(s).

Ethical Approval of Studies, Informed Consent, and Identifying Details
Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee and/or independent review board (IRB) approval, which should be documented in the Methods section of the paper. If this study was not approved by the appropriate ethics committee or IRB, include a statement as to why it was exempt.

Manuscripts describing research involving human subjects should indicate that written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of the children who served as subjects of the investigation and, when appropriate, from the subjects themselves. In the event that either the Editors or the reviewers question the propriety of the human investigation with respect to the risk to the subjects or to the means by which informed consent was obtained, The Journal of Pediatrics may request more detailed information about the safeguards employed and the procedures used to obtain informed consent. Copies of the minutes of the committees that reviewed and approved the research also may be requested. Authors should verify compliance with the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) prior to submission.

Patients have a right to privacy. Therefore identifying information, including patients' images, names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be included in videos, recordings, written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and you have obtained written informed consent for publication in print and electronic form from the patient (or parent, guardian or next of kin where applicable). If such consent is made subject to any conditions, Elsevier must be made aware of all such conditions. Written consents must be provided to Elsevier on request.

Even where consent has been given, identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note. If such consent has not been obtained, personal details of patients included in any part of the paper and in any supplementary materials (including all illustrations and videos) must be removed before submission.

Clinical Trials Registration
Although currently not required for submission or publication, the Editors encourage registration of clinical trials in an appropriate registry. Provide the site of the registry and the registration number in the letter of submission and on the title page; this information may be published. Please see the guidelines for registering clinical trials at http://www.icmje.org/#clin_trials

Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Policy
According to the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME):

"...a conflict of interest (competing interest) is some fact known to a participant in the publication process that if revealed later, would make a reasonable reader feel misled or deceived (or an author, reviewer, or editor feel defensive). Conflicts of interest may influence the judgment of authors, reviewers, and editors; these conflicts often are not immediately apparent to others. They may be personal, commercial, political, academic, or financial. Financial interests may include employment, research funding (received or pending), stock or share ownership, patents, payment for lectures or travel, consultancies, nonfinancial support, or any fiduciary interest in the company. The perception of a conflict of interest is nearly as important as an actual conflict, since both erode trust."

Authors are required to disclose on the title page of the initial manuscript any potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest. Authors must describe the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in 1) study design; 2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; 3) the writing of the report; and 4) the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Authors should include statements even when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. Authors should also state who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the disclosure statements may be published.

Preparation of Manuscripts

General Information
Manuscripts are to be submitted via the Elsevier Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds. Authors should review carefully the Authors' Tutorial for the system at http://ees.elsevier.com/eeshelp/EES_Author_Tutorial.html. Manuscripts must adhere to standard layout and length guidelines, outlined below. After submission, the corresponding author can log onto EES to view the status of the manuscript. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations and text. Due to page limitations, the Editors may decide that figures, appendices, tables, acknowledgments, and other material be published in the online version of The Journal and referenced in the print edition.

Letter of Submission
A Letter of Submission must accompany all submissions and provide the following information in accordance with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at http://www.icmje.org

• Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information; a copy of the work(s) must be provided; or a statement that there are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information;
• A statement that the work is not and will not be submitted to any other journal while under consideration by The Journal of Pediatrics;
• A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived, and of the role of the study sponsor, if any; this must also appear on the title page;
• A statement that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation of the contributions of each author must be provided.

Potential Reviewers
To assist with a prompt, fair review process, authors should provide in the letter of submission the names, complete addresses, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of 5 to 7 potential reviewers who have the appropriate expertise to evaluate the manuscript. Failure to provide 5 to 7 potential reviewers may result in delays in the processing of your manuscript. Authors may also provide the names of persons who should not be asked to review the manuscript. Ultimately, the Editors reserve the right to choose reviewers.

Title Page
The title page should include authors' full names and highest academic degrees; departmental and institutional affiliations of each author; and sources of financial assistance or potential conflicts of interest, if any (see Conflicts of Interest/Disclosure Policy). Listed authors should include only those individuals who have made a significant, creative contribution to the manuscript as defined at www.icmje.org; a list of more than 6 authors must be justified to the Editors in the Letter of Submission. One author must be designated as the correspondent, with complete address, business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the Editorial Office and all other co-authors. Proofs and order forms for reprints will be sent to the corresponding author if the manuscript is published. Include a list of key words not in the title.

Drug Nomenclature
Drugs should be described in both the United States Adopted Name (USAN) and International Nonproprietary Name (INN) nomenclature. At first usage (once in the Abstract and once in the Methods section), cite the USAN, with the INN and manufacturer name in parentheses; subsequent appearances should use the USAN only. Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the article title. The trade name may appear once in the abstract and once in the introduction or methods section; all other mention of the product must be in the form of the generic name.

Laboratory Values
Laboratory values should be described in metric mass units. The International System of Units (SI units) can be provided in parentheses immediately after metric units. Conversion tables are available (see JAMA 1986; 255:2329-39 or Ann Intern Med 1987; 106:114-29).

References
References must be numbered according to order of appearance in the text and use superscript or parenthesized numbers in the text. For reference style, follow the format set forth in "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" http://www.icmje.org/ ), with journal abbreviations according to Cumulated Index Medicus. If the reference is to an abstract, letter, or editorial, place the appropriate term in brackets after the title.

Examples of references (if 6 or fewer authors or editors, list all; if 7 or more, list first 6 and add et al):

For journal articles Kramarz P, DeStefano F, Gargiullo PM, Chen RT, Lieu TA, Davis RL, et al. Does influenza vaccination prevent asthma exacerbations in children? J Pediatr 2001; 138:306-10.

Cozzi F, Morini F. Possible mechanisms of pacifier protection against SIDS [letter]. J Pediatr 2001;138:783.

For books
Rosenstein BJ, Fosarelli PD. Pediatric pearls: the handbook of practical pediatrics. 3rd ed. St Louis: Mosby; 1997.

Virginia Law Foundation. The medical and legal implications of AIDS. Charlottesville (VA): The Foundation; 1987.

For chapters in books
Neufeld EF, Muenzer J. The mucopolysaccharidoses. In: Scriver CR, Beaudet AL, Sly WS, et al, eds. The metabolic and molecular bases of inherited diseases. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001. p. 3421-52.

For web sites
American Medical Association [homepage on the Internet]. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [updated 2001 Aug 23; cited 2002 Aug 12]. AMA Office of Group Practice Liaison; [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html

Tables
Tables are to be uploaded into EES as separate documents. A concise title should be supplied for each. Tables should be self-explanatory and should supplement, not duplicate the text. If a table or any data therein have been previously published, a footnote must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions).

Figure Legends
Each illustration must be provided with a legend. Legends should be double-spaced on a separate page within the main document file following the references page. If an illustration has been previously published, the legend must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions).

Illustrations
A reasonable number of black and white illustrations will be reproduced at no cost to the authors, but the Editors retain the right to edit or delete illustrations and tables for the sake of brevity (See Article Type). Figure legends must be separate from the figures. (See Figure Legends) Each figure must be uploaded into EES as a separate file.

All illustrations must be clear and legible. Patterns or shadings must be distinguishable from each other and dark enough for reproduction. Lines, symbols, and letters must be smooth and complete. Illustrations may be original drawings in black ink with typographic lettering; typewritten or freehand lettering is unacceptable.

Color illustrations are acceptable. Note that the colors must be dark enough and of sufficient contrast for reproduction. Fluorescent colors do not reproduce well. Avoid using color descriptors in the figure legends. Authors are expected to pay the extra cost associated with reproduction of color illustrations in the print version of The Journal of Pediatrics. After final acceptance the publisher will contact authors with pricing and instructions for payment. If the Editors determine that color illustrations will be clear in black and white, the illustrations can be published in blackand white in the print version and in color in the online version at no cost to the authors.

All images should be at least 5 inches wide. Images may be provided in a variety of formats, preferably .tif, .eps, or .jpg. Line art (black lines on a white background) must be created at 1000 dpi. Combination line art (e.g. line art with gray fill patterns) must be created at 1200 dpi. Black and white or color photographs must be created at 300 dpi. For complete instructions, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Artwork Guidelines If you are unable to upload illustrations into EES, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Help to contact EES Technical Support

Multi-Media Files
In addition, short movie, animation, or audio files can be published in the online version of The Journal; a reference to the electronic material would appear in the print version. Each file should be uploaded into EES as an "e-component." For specifications for these types of files, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Artwork Guidelines.

Permissions
Direct quotations, tables, or illustrations, even if modified, that have appeared in copyrighted material must be accompanied by written permission for their use from the copyright owner and original authors along with complete information as to source. For further information on how to obtain permission, please go to www.jpeds.com and click on Permission to Reuse .

Written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is required for publication of photographs or other images that include the upper portion of the face; black bars over the eyes are not sufficient. Patient initials should not be used anywhere in the text, tables, or figures.

Articles appear in both the print and online versions of The Journal of Pediatrics, and wording of the letter must specify permission in all forms and media.

Abbreviations
Complex terms used frequently in the manuscript may be abbreviated. Abbreviations are placed in parentheses at first use in the abstract and again at first use in the text. The manuscript should include a list of all abbreviations used.

Article Types

Original Articles
Full-length manuscripts for the Original Articles section of The Journal of Pediatrics must include a structured abstract of ≤200 words, to appear after the title page, in the general outline described by the Ad Hoc Working Group for Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature (Ann Intern Med 1987; 106:598-604 and 1990; 113:69-76). The abstract must contain the following headings: Objective(s), Study design, Results, and Conclusion(s). The objective(s) reflects the purpose of the study, that is, the hypothesis that is being tested. The study design should include the type of study, the setting for the study, the subjects (number and type), the treatment or intervention, principal outcomes measured, and the type of statistical analysis. The results section should include the outcome of the study and statistical significance if appropriate. The conclusion(s) states the significance of the results.

Original research articles should not exceed 6 published pages (about 18 double-spaced manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables). Failure to comply with length restrictions may result in a delay in the processing of your paper. The following length targets are recommended for Original Articles:

Structured Abstract: ≤200
Introduction: 1 page
Methods: 2-3 pages
Results: 2-3 pages
Discussion: 3-5 pages
Graphics: 4 Tables + Figures total for OA
References: 30

Clinical and Laboratory Observations
Clinical and Laboratory Observations ("Case Reports") should not exceed 3 published pages (about 9 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables); the text should be ≤1000 words with a brief, unstructured abstract of ≤50 words. A combined total of 2 illustrations and tables and approximately 10 references are recommended.

Insights
Submissions to the Insights section of The Journal of Pediatrics should succinctly illustrate clinical problems or solutions of interest to readers and must fit on one published page. At least one publishable figure is required; however, captioned photographs, brief anecdotes or analyses, cartoons, short movie, animation, audio files, and supplemental figures (see Illustrations) are welcome. All material must be original, and a fresh, useful insight must be offered. Text must be ≤300 words and is subject to shortening if the text and figure(s) do not fit on one published page. All references will be published in the online version of The Journal. Additional figure(s) may be placed in the online version of The Journal if the piece exceeds one published page. Original, signed, written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is required for publication of recognizable images in all forms and media. (See Permissions) Authors will be required to sign a standard copyright transfer agreement; therefore, all submissions must have a title. Submissions will undergo review by the Editors, and their decision to accept or reject will be final.

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should pertain to papers published in The Journal of Pediatrics within the past year or to related topics and should not exceed 300 words. Provide a unique title for the Letter on the title page with complete contact information for the author(s). Double-space the text of the Letter. References, including reference to the pertinent article(s) in The Journal, should conform to style for manuscripts (see References).

Medical Progress
Authors who wish to propose a review article for the Medical Progress section should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Medical Progress articles should focus on the latest advancements in rapidly changing fields. Practical guidelines, diagnostic algorithms, commentary of case management issues, and articles involving outcomes research may be appropriate for this section. Authors are encouraged to interpret cited works, which should lead to logical conclusions and recommendations. It is understood that some of these conclusions and recommendations will necessarily be tentative, but, if labeled clearly as such, are an essential part of the process. Medical Progress manuscripts should be ≤5 published pages (about 15 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables).

Invited Commentaries
Commentaries are generally invited only. Authors who wish to propose a Commentary should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Commentaries should serve as a forum for governmental health policies, economic issues, medical/scientific ethics, psychosocial issues, and international health, particularly in the developed world.

Grand Rounds
Authors who wish to propose a manuscript for the Grand Rounds section should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Grand Rounds manuscripts should be informative and timely for the physician, containing up-to-date, but not necessarily new, unpublished data. Often these manuscripts will be reviews of topics of current interest, similar to Grand Rounds at a major academic center. Aspects such as innovative clinical management, new diagnostic techniques, and pathologic mechanisms should be stressed. Manuscripts for the Grand Rounds section may be prepared in traditional clinicopathologic conference (CPC) style or as a didactic discussion. Grand Rounds manuscripts should be ≤5½ published pages (about 16 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables).

AMSPDC Section
Pages of The Journal of Pediatrics are reserved for the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Inc. (AMSPDC), which is solely responsible for their content. Authors interested in submitting to this section should contact AMSPDC directly. All other manuscripts must be submitted as detailed above by each article type.

Paul H. Dworkin, M.D.
Administration
Connecticut Children's Medical Center
282 Washington St.
Hartford, CT 06106
Tel: 860-545-8566
E-mail: pdworki@ccmc.kids.org

Announcements and Upcoming Events
Announcements of scheduled meetings, symposia, or postgraduate courses of interest to the pediatric readership may be sent to the Editorial Office via e-mail for consideration at least 2 months in advance of the meeting date or deadline. News items of general interest to pediatricians and related specialists will also be considered. Approved Announcements will be published in the online version of The Journal of Pediatrics. The Journal requests a reciprocal posting back to www.jpeds.com; however, the organization's decision to link to The Journal's website will not be a barrier to The Journal's willingness to post this Announcement or Event.

Submissions for the Announcements and Upcoming Events section must include the following information (* = required):

Event Title *
Dates *
Host/Organizer/Sponsor *
Location *
Webpage *

Supplements
The Journal of Pediatrics publishes funded supplements after approval and review by the Editorial Office. Initial inquiries and proposals for supplements should be directed to

Brian Jenkins, Senior Supplements Editor
Elsevier Supplements Department
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212-462-1924
Fax: 212-462-1935
E-mail: b.jenkins@elsevier.com

Books for Review
The Journal of Pediatrics does not publish book reviews. Books sent to the Editor will not be returned.

Decisions
Authors will receive e-mail notification from the Editorial Office of The Journal of Pediatrics after a decision has been made. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations and text. Due to page limitations, the Editors may decide that figures, appendices, tables, acknowledgments, and other material will be published in the online version of The Journal and referenced in the print edition.

Inquiries Regarding Decisions
All inquiries concerning manuscript decisions should be in writing from the designated corresponding author; please see contact information above. The complete manuscript file will be forwarded to the appropriate Editor for response to the inquiry. The Editors are not available for telephone calls regarding decisions.

Release to Media/Embargo Policy
It is a violation of the copyright agreement to disclose the findings of an accepted manuscript to the media or the public before publication in The Journal of Pediatrics. Information in the manuscript may be announced when it is published on The Journal's website. Please notify the Editorial Office if your institution anticipates writing and distributing a press release regarding an accepted article.

Public Access Policy Mandate
As of April 7, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a revision to its Public Access Policy for accepted manuscripts receiving NIH funding. Please see Elsevier's NIH Policy Statement for details ( http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authors.authors/nihauthorrequest ). Additional funding body agreements and policies can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/fundingbodyagreements .

Checklist for Manuscripts

• Review Guide for Authors and instructions for submitting manuscripts through Elsevier Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds

• Letter of submission

• Names and complete contact information for 5-7 suggested reviewers
• Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, including Methods; a copy of the work(s) must be provided -OR- A statement that there are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information;
• A statement that the work is not and will not be submitted to any other journal while under consideration by The Journal of Pediatrics;
• A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived; this includes a description of the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in 1) study design; 2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; 3) the writing of the report; and 4) the decision to submit the paper for publication. Include statements even when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. Also state who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. This information must also appear on the title page;
• A statement that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation of the contributions of each author must be provided (See Authorship Criteria).

• Title page

o Title of article
o Full name(s), academic degrees, and affiliations of authors
o Name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of corresponding author
o Name of reprint request author or notation of no reprints
o List of key words not in the title
o Source of funding and conflict of interest statement, if applicable
o Short running title (<12 words)

• Abstract (double-spaced), structured (200 words) for Original Article or unstructured (0 words) for Clinical and Laboratory Observations
• Article proper (double-spaced), including

o List of abbreviations (double-spaced)
o References (double-spaced), on a separate page
o Figure legends (double-spaced), on a separate page

• Tables including title (double-spaced), each on a separate page, saved as a separate file
• IIllustrations, each saved as a separate file; if mailed, properly labeled (4 sets of glossy prints)
• Letter(s) of permission to reproduce previously published material in all forms and media-must be mailed
• Letters of permission to publish patient photographs in all forms and media-must be mailed
• Copies of prior and/or in press publications-if not uploaded, may be faxed or mailed

Updated March 2009