To the Editor: Impact factor (IF) has been used in Pediatrics journals to gauge scientific relevance and is considered a significant criterion for the quality ranking of journals [1]. The term IF “JUMPS” was used to describe substantial increments of IF in different medical specialties during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic [2, 3]. Considering that the pandemic has spanned beyond 2020 (even until November 2022, when the authors wrote this article), this study aimed to identify which journals from the Pediatrics category from the Journal Citations Reports® presented not only a significant increase in the IF in 2020 but also a consecutive double IF JUMP (2020–2021).

This retrospective study included journals from the Pediatrics category during 2015–2021 and a consecutive IF JUMP from 2020–2021. Our assessments included comparing the IF and calculating the IF growth rate (GR).

IF and IF GR had a non-normal distribution, a significant statistical difference in the median in the selected period (Friedman tests, χ2 = 345.271, p =  < .001), and a significant difference in the IF GR trends in all years (Friedman tests, χ2 = 79.904, p < .001).

From the 125 journals included, 89 (71.2%) had a consecutive GR increment during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 periods. Three journals had an average GR > 100% (World J Pediatr, Lancet Child Adolesc, and Indian J Pediatr). Another three had GR between 76%–100%. Also, eight journals had a GR of 51%–75%, 33 journals showed 26%–50%, and the remaining 42 journals had a GR of 1%–25%.

It is still unknown how some journals achieved multiple times increments in their GR from 2020 to 2021. These findings reinforce that IF is a norm in the publishing world and a status symbol for journals from developing [4] and developed countries.