What are the Common Challenges in Pediatric Meta-Analysis?
Conducting a meta-analysis in pediatrics comes with its own set of challenges:
Heterogeneity: Variability among studies in terms of populations, interventions, and outcomes can affect the consistency of the results. Quality of Studies: The inclusion of low-quality studies can bias the results. Therefore, assessing the quality of each study is crucial. Publication Bias: Studies with positive results are more likely to be published, while negative or inconclusive results may remain unpublished. This can skew the meta-analysis results. Ethical and Practical Constraints: Ethical concerns and practical issues can limit the number of available studies, making it difficult to conduct a comprehensive analysis.
