The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has been closely linked with the development of pediatrics at some centers in India. In the 40’s there were only 12 – 15 pediatricians in India – 6 IN Mumbai‚ 2 in Delhi in Madras and about 4 to 5 in Calcutta. Pediatrics made a beginning in Mumbai in 1928‚ when Dr George Coelho‚ rightly called the father of Indian Pediatrics‚ became the Superintendent of the B J Hospital for Children – the first children’s hospital in India. He remained the head of the department of pediatrics till 1953. In 1929‚ Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for children became a separate independent children’s hospital. Dr. George Coelho started independent research and services in 1926. The postgraduate course for diploma in child heath was started at B J Hospital and Bai Jeerbai Wadia hospital for children in 1944 and the University of Bombay in 1946. Many of the senior pediatricians of today in the country worked at the B J Hospital for children under the leadership of Dr George Coelho. He edited the Indian Journal of Child Heath from 1952 to 1959. A separate department of pediatrics was created in Government General Hospital‚ Chennai‚ in 1946 with Professor S T Achar. He was later responsible for the creation of a separate institute of Pediatrics and Childrens Hospital in Egmore‚ Chennai.

In 1948 the department of pediatrics was started at the Nair hospital and Topiwala National Medical College with Dr. Shatilal C Sheth as the head of the department. At around the same time the department of Pediatrics was started in Patna with Sr Lala Suraj Nandan Prasad as its Chief. In the early 50s Dr P N Taneja the senior – most pediatrics in Delhi‚ became the first chief of pediatrics at Lrwin hospital ‚ and later full – time professor of pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in new Delhi. Simultaneously‚ Dr J N Pohowalla‚ became the professor and head of the department in Indore.

In 1933 Dr. K C Chaudhuri founded the first independent pediatric journal namel the Indian Journal of Pediatrics in Calcutta. Dr Chaudhuri also started the Indian Pediatric society in 1948. By 1958 the Indian Pediatric Society had organized nine National Pediatric Conferences in different cities in india.

The association of Pediatrics of India started in 1950 in Bombay by Dr. George Coelho listed only pediatricians as Ordinary members and those interested in pediatrics as Associate Members The Indian Pediatric Society however had a number of non-pediatricians as Ordinary members. Dr. Coelho was of the opinion that the policies regarding teaching service and the research in pediatrics should be decided by pediatricians only. Dr. Chaudhari on the other hand was of the opinion that all medical personnel including general practitioners who were interested in pediatrics should be made Ordinary members of the India Pediatric Society. Dr. S.T. Aher along with the second generation of pediatricians in Mumbai Delhi Culcutta Patna and Indore acted as the catalytic force for the merger of the two national pediatric bodies.

Another important difference of the opinion between Dr. George Coelho and Dr. K C Chaudhari was regarding the organization of independent and separate conference for pediatricians. Dr. Coelho decided to establish the Annual Conference of Association of Pediatricians of India in collaboration with various specialty organizations like Cardiologists Neurologists Hematologists and other internal medical disciplines. He felt that this would help influence the status of pediatrics as a separate discipline with senior medical professional of the country who were the decision makers in the field of medical education.

However Dr K C Chaudhuri thought that pediatricians of India should have a separate independent annual conference of their own. He felt that conducting a separate annual meeting of pediatricians would help establish pediatrics as an independent discipline.

Considering the difference of ideas and approach of the two senior pediatric pioneers the younger generation of pediatricians decided that it was necessary to unite the voice of all pediatricians across India by the common bond of a National Pediatric body. The Indian Pediatic Society at its annual conference at Jaipur in December 1961 adopted a resolution proposing the constitution of a single All India Organization representative of India at its annual conference in Indore in February 1962 responded with a similar proposal.

A joint committee was setup to formulate proposal to achieve this end. The members of the committee were Dr. Sisir K Bose Dr. Harish Chandra Dr. S. P Ghasal Dr. S S Manchanda Dr. B. D Patel Dr. P Tirumala Rao Dr. Shantilal C Seth Dr. P. N Taneja‚ Dr. P. M Udani and Dr. J K G Webb. The committee held its first meeting at Hyderabad in March 1962. Dr. Sisir K Bose was elected its Convenor. The committee laid down the principles on which the new body to be called the Indian Academy of Pediatrics would be constituted. The Secretaries of the two existing bodies Dr S P Ghosal and Dr B D Patel were called upon to draw detailed proposals regarding the constitution of the proposed Indian Academy of Pediatrics.

The joint committee held its second meeting on the eve of the joint Hyderabad conference of the two bodies in 1963. At this meeting the draft constitution together with the recommendation of the joint committee was approved and forwarded to the Indian Pediatric Society and the Association of pediatricians of India For consideration and acceptance.

The Indian Pediatric Society and the association of pediatricians of India then jointly decided to from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics as the single representative body of pediatricians of India and the first National Conference of the Indian Academy of pediatrics was held in Pune 1964. The official journal of the IAP Indian Pediatrics‚ incorporated the Indian Journal of child Heath and the Journal of the Indian Pediatric Society‚ commenced publication in January 1964 from Calcutta. The central office of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics was established in Mumbai.

Since its birth in 1963 at Hydrabad the IAP has grown multifold with 15717 members at present‚ State chapters‚ Subspecialty chapters‚ District level branches & its official Journals & many publications.

The number of delegates attending the conference has grown in thousands so have the registration fees. Annual National Conference of IAP started attracting large no of delegates from different parts of India. Day by day it become very difficult to organize the conference & to cater for individual needs of the delegates . The conferences lost its soul in the form of personal interactions amongst the delegates as well as interaction between delegates & faculty members. Every year there is a Kumbhmela at IAP’S Annual National Conference. Scientific papers poured in large number. The venues for the conference had to be in big cities only. The organisers had tough time to cater the needs of large number of delegates as far as Accommodation ‚ Travelling & food is concerned. General pediatricians attending such annual conferences of IAP year after year got lost in the crowd‚ gained little from conference‚ confused to select various concurrent CME‚ workshops & other scientific sessions‚ which affected the basic purpose of the annual meets. All this lead to an idea of holding smalier regional conferences.

The first such regional conference was held at Pune in 1979 i.e. in the year of International Year Of The Child‚ under the guidance of Dr. U.R.Warekar of Solapur‚ Dr D.B.Shirole of Pune‚ Dr. V.N. Ingale of Aurangabad & Dr. J.S. Patel of Nashik. It was attended by 120 delegates & the registration fees was Rs. 50/- only. The next regional conference was held at Solapur in 1980. It was the successful conference with the all the benefits of a limited crowd with each & every delegate getting an opportunity to actively participate in the conference.

The subsequent Regional Conference were held at following places year wise….

After holding such successful eleven Regional Meets from 1979 to 1989 it was decided to form the Maharashtra State Branch of Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians from Nashik took the lead to form the Maharashtra State Branch of Indian Academy of Pediatrics. The first conference of Maharashtra State Branch of IAP was organized at Satara on 25th Nov. 1990 under the Presidentship of Dr. Nitin G. Lavangare & Dr. A.R. Gogbole being an organizing Secretary. The Satara dist unit of Pediatricians played the key role for this first Maharashtra State IAP Conference. The theme of the conference was Come Together For The Progress. The theme really worked for the years to come.

Since 1990 the successful Annual Conference of Maharashtra State Branch of IAP i.e. Mahapedicons were held at following places regularly.