Twenty-first Century Trends in the Global Epidemiology of Pediatric-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing internationally, particularly in nations with historically low rates. Previous reports of the epidemiology of pediatric-onset IBD identified a paucity of data. We systematically reviewed the global trends in incidence and prevalence of IBD diagnosed in individuals <21 years old over the first 2 decades of the 21st century. METHODS: We systematically reviewed studies indexed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Airiti Library, and SciELO from January 2010 to February 2020 to identify population-based studies reporting the incidence and/or prevalence of IBD, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and/or IBD-unclassified. Data from studies published before 2000 were derived from a previously published systematic review. We described the geographic distribution and trends in children of all ages and limiting to very early onset (VEO) IBD. RESULTS: A total of 131 studies from 48 countries were included. The incidence and prevalence of pediatric-onset IBD is highest in Northern Europe and North America and lowest in Southern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Among studies evaluating trends over time, most (31 of 37, 84%) studies reported significant increases in incidence and all (7 of 7) reported significant increases in prevalence. Data on the incidence and prevalence of VEO-IBD are limited to countries with historically high rates of IBD. Time trends in the incidence of VEO-IBD were visually heterogeneous. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of pediatric-onset IBD continue to rise around the world and data are emerging from regions where it was not previously reported; however, there remains a paucity of data on VEO-IBD and on pediatric IBD from developing and recently developed countries.

Identification and Evaluation of Controlled Trials in Pediatric Cardiology: Crowdsourced Scoping Review and Creation of Accessible Searchable Database.

Cardiac disease in children is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as increased health resource utilisation. There is a perception that there is a paucity of high-quality studies, particularly randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in the field of pediatric cardiology. We sought to identify, examine, and map the range of RCTs conducted in children with cardiac conditions, including the development of a searchable open-access database. A literature search was conducted encompassing MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to 2018. All English-language RCTs enrolling children (age 0-21 years) with cardiac conditions were included. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed in duplicate via crowdsourcing for each eligible study and entered into an online database. A total of 933 RCTs met eligibility criteria. Median trial recruitment was 49 patients (interquartile range 30-86) with 18.9% of studies (n = 176) including > 100 patients. A wide variety of populations and interventions were encompassed with congenital heart disease (79.8% of RCTs) and medications (63.3% of RCTs) often studied. Just over one-half of the trials (53.4%) clearly identified a primary outcome, and fewer than half (46.6%) fully documented a robust randomization process. Trials were summarised in a searchable online database (https://pediatrics.knack.com/cardiology-rct-database#cardiology-rcts/). Contrary to a commonly held perception, there are nearly 1,000 published RCTs in pediatric cardiology. The open-access database created as part of this project provides a resource that facilitates an efficient comprehensive review of the literature for clinicians and researchers caring for children with cardiac issues.