Journal of Pediatric Health and Nutrition
Instructions for Authors
Everything a manuscript needs before it is sent: the limits for each article type, how the file should be prepared, what must be reported, and where to submit it.
Whether the subject belongs in the journal is settled on the Aims and Scope page. This page is about preparing the manuscript itself.
- Manuscript file
- Microsoft Word, double spaced
- References
- Numbered in order of appearance
- Figures
- 300 dpi minimum, separate files
- Review
- Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
Article types
Limits for each type
Word counts exclude the abstract, references, tables and figure legends. A manuscript that needs more space than its type allows should be discussed with the editorial office before submission.
- Original research
- Full-length investigations. Up to 6,000 words, a structured abstract of up to 250 words with background, methods, results and conclusions, and up to 60 references.
- Clinical studies
- Patient-based research, including randomized trials and cohort studies in children. Up to 5,000 words and up to 50 references, reported under CONSORT or STROBE as the design requires.
- Review articles
- Comprehensive analyses of the literature. Up to 8,000 words and up to 100 references. A systematic review or meta-analysis is reported under PRISMA.
- Case reports
- Presentations of an unusual case with clinical learning value. Up to 2,500 words and up to 20 references, reported under CARE, with the teaching points stated.
- Other formats
- The journal's published record also includes brief communications and correspondence. Authors intending to submit in one of these formats should write to the editorial office for the current requirements before preparing the manuscript.
Structure
How the manuscript is organized
Original research follows the standard clinical sequence. Other types follow it as far as their form allows.
- Title page
- A concise title of no more than 150 characters; all author names and affiliations; the corresponding author's contact details; the word count; and the competing-interest declaration. Authors requesting double-blind review keep all of this in a separate file.
- Abstract and keywords
- A structured abstract with background, methods, results and conclusions, and four to six keywords drawn from MeSH.
- Introduction
- The background, the rationale for the question, and the objectives of the study.
- Methods
- Enough detail to allow replication: how participants were selected and how many, over what period, in what setting, what was given and measured, and how the data were analyzed. State the age band as measured, in weeks, months or years.
- Results
- The findings, with tables and figures that add to rather than repeat the text.
- Discussion
- Interpretation against the existing literature, the limitations of the study, and what the findings do and do not support.
- Declarations
- Ethics approval, consent, competing interests, funding, author contributions, the data-availability statement and any AI-use disclosure.
Preparation
File, figures and references
Files prepared this way move through production without being sent back, which is the only reason any of it matters.
- Manuscript file. Microsoft Word, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 2.5 cm margins, with pages numbered consecutively.
- Figures. Supplied as separate files in TIFF, JPEG or EPS at a minimum of 300 dpi, each with a legend. Figures are placed at the end of the manuscript, each on its own page.
- Tables. Supplied in editable form, each with a title and explanatory footnotes, and not duplicating data given in the text or figures.
- Supplementary files. Clearly labeled, cited in the text at the point they support, and supplied in formats a reader can open without specialist software.
- References. Cited by number, not by author and date, and numbered consecutively in order of appearance. List the first 3 authors, then "et al." for additional authors. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of every reference.
- Permissions. Material reproduced or adapted from another source requires the rights holder's written permission, supplied at submission, with the source acknowledged in the legend or footnote.
Reference examples
How each kind of source is cited
The pattern is the same throughout: authors, title, source, year, and the identifier that lets a reader find it.
- Journal article
- Roy S, Bazlul Karim ASM, Kumar Das S, et al. Risk factors of persistent diarrhoea in children below five years of age. J Pediatr Health Nutr. 2019;1(1):13–18. doi:10.14302/issn.2691-5014.jphn-19-3038
- Book
- Author AA, Author BB. Title of the book. 3rd ed. City: Publisher; 2021.
- Book chapter
- Author AA. Title of the chapter. In: Editor CC, ed. Title of the book. City: Publisher; 2020:145–162.
- Web page
- Organization name. Title of the page. Published 12 March 2024. Accessed 2 September 2026. https://example.org/page
- Dataset
- Author AA. Title of the dataset. Version 2. Repository name; 2023. doi:10.0000/example
- Preprint
- Author AA, Author BB. Title of the preprint. Preprint. Server name. Posted 4 January 2025. doi:10.0000/example
- Trial registration
- Registry name. Title of the trial. Registration number. Registered 18 June 2024. https://registry.example/NCT00000000
Research with children
What every manuscript must report
Name the research ethics committee or institutional review board that approved the study, with its reference number, and state how permission and assent were obtained.
Participation requires permission from a parent or legal guardian, together with the child's own assent where the child is able to give it, obtained under the approved study protocol.
Publishing anything that could identify a child requires separate written permission covering that specific material. Omit identifying details the science does not require; partial obscuring of a photograph is not by itself sufficient protection.
Also required in the manuscript
- Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript. Dietary interventions are included.
- Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement.
- Any use of generative AI in preparing the manuscript is disclosed, with the tool named and its use described. The named authors remain accountable for the whole manuscript.
- Statistical reporting states the tests used and why, the software and version, how missing data were handled, and effect estimates with confidence intervals rather than p-values alone.
For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
Reporting guidelines
Which checklist applies
Submit the completed checklist for the design with the manuscript. It shortens review and makes the report easier to assess.
- CONSORT
- Randomized trials of interventions in children.
- STROBE
- Observational studies — cohort, case-control and cross-sectional.
- PRISMA
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
- STARD
- Studies of diagnostic accuracy.
- CARE
- Case reports.
- ARRIVE
- Studies involving animals.
Before sending
Submission checklist
A manuscript that answers yes to all of these is ready to submit.
- Scope. The manuscript addresses a substantive question about pediatric health, development, nutrition or care.
- Limits. Word count, abstract length and reference count are within the limits for the article type.
- Files. Manuscript, figures, tables and supplementary material are prepared as described above, with a separate title page if double-blind review is requested.
- Reporting. The checklist for the study design is completed and attached.
- Ethics. Approval, parental or guardian permission, child assent and any publication consent are described in the manuscript.
- Registration. Interventional studies carry the registry name, number and registration date.
- Declarations. Competing interests, funding, author contributions, the data-availability statement and any AI use are stated.
- Permissions. Written permission is held for any reproduced material.
Submission
Where to send the manuscript
Three routes are open to authors of this journal. Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
- Primary route
- ManuscriptZone
- Alternative route
- Manuscript submission form
- Assisted route
- [email protected]
The charge that applies after acceptance is on the Article Processing Charges page.