It was founded in 1946 and together with its clinical partner Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), forms the largest concentration of children's health research in Europe.

[3] Current research focusses on broad biomedical topics within child health, ranging from developmental biology, to genetics, to immunology and epidemiology.

[4][5] It acted as a postgraduate school of preventive and therapeutic paediatrics of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the University of London.

[5][6] ICH sets out its mission to improve the health and wellbeing of children, and the adults they will become, through world-class research, education and public engagement.

Its facilities include: The Library holds a range of resources (databases, e-resources and books) as well as offering training sessions and online tutorials.