Until the 19^th century, mothers and midwives provided the majority of health care to children. In was only during the second half of the 19^th century that Paediatrics was recognized as a speciality. In old documents we can access information on how childcare was provided and about several diseases, which were often registered as a sign or a symptom.

In Portugal, Paediatrics was introduced in the medical curriculum of the Medical and Surgical School of Porto, by an 1836 law, as the 6^th discipline (Labour, Disturbances of women in labour and of newborns).

With the law of February 22^nd 1911, The Medical and Surgical School of Porto was converted into a Faculty. By then, there were three Faculties of Medicine in the country: in Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto. The duration of the medicine course was extended to six years and the number of disciplines increased from 15 to 38. The teaching of Paediatrics was individualized in the chair of Paediatrics Practice.

The 1918 legal reform (Law of July 12th) promulgated a new organization of medical teaching, with 38 disciplines in a course with a 5-year duration. The discipline of Paediatrics was taught in the 5^th year.

With the revolution of May 28^th 1926, which has put an end to the First Republic, changes were introduced in universities, namely by the promulgation of a new Regulation of University Teaching. This regulation did not add new disciplines, but redistributed the disciplines in 12 groups, in which Paediatrics belonged to the 5^th group and was still taught in the 5^th year.

In 1930, a new Regulation of University Education was published. It originated a new organic law and a new regulation for the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). The 1931 regulation established a new organization of the groups, in a total of 15, and a curricular plan for the six years of the course, in which Paediatrics figured in the 6^th year as an annual discipline. The following teaching reforms, in 1948 and 1955 did not modify the study plan of Paediatrics, which was kept as an annual discipline up to the academic year of 1988/89.

From that year and until 1996/97, the teaching of Paediatrics in FMUP was expanded into the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th years of the course, being a semi-annual discipline in 4^th and 5^th years (Paediatrics I and Paediatrics II, respectively) and an annual discipline in the 6^th year (Paediatric Practice and Social Paediatrics).

With the 1997 new law reform, Paediatrics started to be taught in a regime of blocks with a 5 week duration, corresponding to 5 credit units in 5^th year (Paediatrics) and a 4 week duration, corresponding to 4 credit units, in 6^th year (Paediatrics: Clinical Practice). The plan of studies stands the same till nowadays.