Pediatrics

Pediatric IBD lags adult evidence for advanced therapies

Children with IBD often face more aggressive disease but have fewer pediatric-specific RCTs for advanced therapies than adults. Only infliximab, adalimumab, and ustekinumab have pediatric approvals; most other agents remain used off-label. Safety data beyond anti-TNFs are sparse, with limited pediatric evidence for serious infections, malignancy, or VTE. Authors recommend integrating real-world evidence and pediatric precision-medicine approaches to fill evidence gaps. 1

Digital bedside guideline platform linked to shorter LOS after pediatric allogeneic HCT

Sustained use of a digital clinical decision-support platform correlated with a 14% shorter adjusted inpatient LOS versus pre-platform (ratio 0.858; p=0.018). Adjusted mean LOS fell from 53.3 to 45.7 days during sustained use. Non-relapse mortality trended lower in sustained-use cohorts after adjustment, but small at-risk numbers make estimates cautious. No increase in ICU admissions or 30-day readmissions was observed. 2

Music therapy reduces depressive symptoms in youth

Meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (n=690) found music therapy reduced depressive symptoms (SMD -0.55). Music therapy also improved self-esteem (SMD 0.45) and quality of life (SMD 0.69), with limited data for anxiety. Exploratory analyses suggested larger effects in younger children and with longer, more frequent sessions, but these are hypothesis-generating. 3