Stamps have long been recognised as paper ambassadors. They have been used for propaganda purposes, promoting campaigns of the World Health Organisation1 and other medical topics.2-4 Paediatric philately is the study of postage stamps that represent themes related to paediatrics.5 The definition will not be stretched to include all stamps displaying children, but be confined to those relevant to paediatrics.

I decided to determine the scope of paediatric philately and searched for stamps through collectors, catalogues, and philatelic bureaux.6 I was particularly interested in which areas of child health have received most attention on stamps world wide.

I discovered that a wide range of situations …