Children's illnesses were taught at the Department of Obstetrics, Women's and Children's Diseases, headed by Professor Vasily Nikolayevich Massen. After the death of VN. Massena (1904) Professor Vasily Filippovich Yakubovich organized the Department of Childhood Illnesses, to which he was in charge from 1904 to 1912. In 1905, the first in Odessa children's clinic was built for charity funds

 From 1912 to 1921 years the department was headed by Semen Konstantinovich Gogitidze. Despite the difficult years of the First World War and the revolution in 1916, S.K. Gogitidze founded the Odessa Society of Childhood Illnesses, which is a scientific and practical school for many generations of pediatricians.

 In the years 1921-1928. the department was headed by Professor Isai Yakovlevich Vinokurov. In the years of devastation and famine that were difficult for Odessa, the staff of the department worked out the diagnosis and treatment of acute childhood infections, including tuberculosis and its prevention in newborn children.

From 1928 to 1954. the Department of Children's Diseases was headed by Professor Arkady Skratsky, who worked at the clinic since 1908. At the initiative of A.I., Skrotsky, the clinic was the first in the country to create a children's mud baths; the children's sanatorium "Cold Balka" was organized.

In 1932 in the Odessa Medical Institute. N.I. Pirogov opened a pediatric faculty and a pediatric department was established on the basis of the regional children's hospital. The first head of the department of pediatrics of the pediatric faculty was Professor Grigori Semyonovich Levi, who headed the department from 1932 to 1959.

From 1959 to 1970. Department of Pediatrics Pediatric Faculty was led by Professor Valentina Ivanovna Zuzanova.

Between 1970 and 1972 Department of Pediatrics Pediatric Faculty was led by Professor Tamara Mikhailovna Yakimenko (later head of the department of propaedeutics of childhood diseases) - a pediatrician with a broad profile, a talented leader and teacher. Preserving the traditions of the department in pedagogical and scientific work, the staff of the department under the guidance of Т.М. Yakimenko continued to study the problem of cardiac pathology in children, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory diseases.

For 25 years (1972-1997), the department of pediatrics of the pediatric faculty was led by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine Boris Yakovlevich Reznik - author of more than 300 scientific works, including 14 monographs. B.Ya. Reznik prepared 40 candidates and 10 doctors of medical sciences, three of whom became heads of pediatric departments - Corresponding Member of the AMS of Ukraine NL. Aryaev; laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine I.L. Babiy; Honored Scientist and Technician A.V. Zubarenko. B.Ya. Reznik was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology in 1997. At the initiative and direct participation of B.Ya. Reznik created a children's medical and diagnostic center with a polyclinic department, which now bears his name.

In 1978, in connection with the organization of the faculty for the improvement of doctors in the Odessa Medical Institute, the third department of pediatrics was established. The first head of the department was Professor Anna Nikitichna Goncharuk;

In 1986, the Department of Pediatrics № 2 was established, headed before the reorganization by Professor Nikolai Leonidovich Aryayev.

The main directions of scientific and practical activities of the pediatrics departments N 1 were: topical issues of physiology and pathology of older children, cardiology, dietetics of childhood.

At the Department of Pediatrics N 2 under the guidance of Professor NL. Aryaev created and approved a unified program for postgraduate training of doctors “Clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy in pediatric practice»

Since 1998, the Department of Pediatrics (from 2013 - the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology) is headed by Corresponding Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine NL. He is the author of more than 500 scientific works, more than 20 competitive domestic and foreign research programs and grants of governmental and non-governmental foundations: Vidrodzhennya, Matra, Carint, TACIS-LIEN, UNISEF, AIHA, MSF, IOS, WHO, ECAS, ICCPS, etc. They were designed. the newest perinatal technologies on the instructions of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in accordance with the programs of international partners - projects TACIS-LIEN-1,2 (European Community), USAID (USA). For the first time in Ukraine a program on perinatology was created; developed and implemented an elective course on perinatology for senior students and doctors; the first in the country textbook "Perinatology" was published.