Book excerpt: This is the 20th Annual volume of the noted international series, Recent Advances in Pediatrics. The series has the distinction of uninterrupted appearance ever since 1990-91 when the it was launched . To date, over and above the 20 Annual volumes, the series has to its credit 21 special volumes on various subspecialities in pediatrics. The present volume aims at covering the currently outstanding hot topics in pediatrics of special relevance to resource-limited countries .The approach is multidisciplinary with an eye on future. The 33 peer-reviewed, evidence-based and state-of-the-art chapters contributed by as many as 46 experts drawn from India and other countries provide depth and breadth of the expanding knowledge in the field of contemporary pediatrics. Also incorporated along with the recent and current advances is the time-honored art of pediatric practice as and when applicable. The treatise presents threadbare discussions on a plethora of hot topics ranging from nanomedicine, community care of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal cholestasis, through non-Hodkin lymphoma, and febrile and transient neutropenia, to pediatric emergencies and blood component therapy. Overviews on two offbeat topics, “Epigenetics” and “Translational Medicine and Research” provide a refreshing flavor of the advances that are set to make strides in the near future. Each and every chapter is remarkable by its excellence, providing a stimulating and, not infrequently, even provocative, mature and informal update. Today, such an approach is considered the backbone for information, motivation of discussion, interaction, research and innovation.