Abstract:Objective
To assess the neurodevelopmental outcome of children with spina bifida aperta (SBA) treated prenatally as compared to those treated postnatally.
Methods
We performed a systematic review of the literature in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library, comparing the neurological outcome of infants with SBA treated prenatally vs postnatally. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non‐randomized prospective controlled studies were included. The primary outcome assessed was neur… Show more
“…The forest plots in this systematic review underscore that the addition of the prospective cohort study did little to improve on the results from the MOMS trial. The only confidence interval that was significantly narrowed by the combination of the two studies was that for absence of signs of hindbrain herniation.…”
mentioning
confidence: 88%
“…The first is a systematic review and meta‐analysis, which, by definition, should avoid the pitfalls associated with single‐study evidence. From the systematic review process, we hope to determine the best clinical practice based on the synthesized evidence.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…From a methodological perspective, the systematic review by Inversetti et al . was conducted beautifully, incorporating all of the requisite checks and balances.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While the selection criteria for this systematic review included both open and less invasive fetal surgical approaches, the two included studies had performed only open surgery for prenatal repair. If we wish to evaluate effectively minimally invasive techniques, simply publishing results from a cohort undergoing such procedures will be insufficient to prove benefit.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While Inversetti et al . 's systematic review was a stellar undertaking, with only two studies ultimately meeting the selection criteria for a meta‐analysis, are there really sufficient data with which to proceed? There is no definitive guidance on the number of studies that are necessary for a meta‐analysis.…”
“…The forest plots in this systematic review underscore that the addition of the prospective cohort study did little to improve on the results from the MOMS trial. The only confidence interval that was significantly narrowed by the combination of the two studies was that for absence of signs of hindbrain herniation.…”
mentioning
confidence: 88%
“…The first is a systematic review and meta‐analysis, which, by definition, should avoid the pitfalls associated with single‐study evidence. From the systematic review process, we hope to determine the best clinical practice based on the synthesized evidence.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…From a methodological perspective, the systematic review by Inversetti et al . was conducted beautifully, incorporating all of the requisite checks and balances.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While the selection criteria for this systematic review included both open and less invasive fetal surgical approaches, the two included studies had performed only open surgery for prenatal repair. If we wish to evaluate effectively minimally invasive techniques, simply publishing results from a cohort undergoing such procedures will be insufficient to prove benefit.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While Inversetti et al . 's systematic review was a stellar undertaking, with only two studies ultimately meeting the selection criteria for a meta‐analysis, are there really sufficient data with which to proceed? There is no definitive guidance on the number of studies that are necessary for a meta‐analysis.…”
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