Sequential analysis in neonatal research —systematic review

Conclusion: Sequential trial designs have not been frequently used in Neonatology. They might potentially be able to reduce the number of patients in drug trials, although this is not always the case.What is known:•In evaluating rare diseases in fragile populations, traditional designs come at their limits. About 20% of pediatric trials are discontinued, mainly because of recruitment problems.What is new:• Sequential trials involving newborns were infrequently used and only a few (n = 21) are available for analysis.• The sequential design allowed to non-significantly reduce the number of enrolled neonates by a median of 24 (31%) patients (IQR − 4.75 to 136.5, p = 0.0674).
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research