Announcement

Pediatric Pain Letter was founded in 1996 by Patrick J McGrath, PhD, and G Allen Finley, MD, at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. From 1996 to 2002, 35 commentaries were published and widely distributed in print format on a variety of significant and emerging topics in pediatric pain. (See List of commentaries, 1996-2002.) Many of the authors of commentaries went on to publish research on these topics in scholarly journals.

After 2002, print publication and postal distribution became too expensive to continue with the available nominal financial support from pharma industry sponsors. In 2005, Carl L von Baeyer, PhD, volunteered to take over as Editor with the recommendation that PPL be published online only, reducing costs of publication significantly, and making access easier and subscriptions unnecessary. As previously, PPL has offered blind peer review prior to acceptance of commentaries. Eighteen commentaries have so far been published in the new online format. (See List of commentaries, 2005-2008.)

To assure the long-term sustainability of PPL, the publishers have agreed to donate PPL to the Special Interest Group on Pain in Childhood (SIG), International Association for the Study of Pain®. The members of Council of the SIG have agreed to accept this transfer.

The PPL will be seen as a benefit to SIG members and to the international community of pediatric pain researchers and clinicians. Access will not be restricted to members of the SIG. Members and councillors of the SIG will benefit the PPL by promoting it, by inviting and writing contributions, and by providing peer review of submissions. PPL will remain free, open-access, peer-reviewed, and editorially independent.

PPL will be moved within the next few months to the childpain.org website and a small editorial board of SIG members (including Council members) will take responsibility for it. PPL has enough funds to sustain it for three to five years at the present low cost without drawing on SIG financial resources. Carl von Baeyer is willing to continue as editor and Kelly Hayton continues as editorial assistant.

We see this transfer as a very positive development for PPL, for the SIG, and for the worldwide community of clinicians and scholars in pediatric pain.

Carl L von Baeyer, PhD, Editor

G Allen Finley, MD, and Patrick J McGrath, PhD, Publishers