Pediatrics

IPD meta-analysis: antidepressant effects differ by patient characteristics in pediatric MDD

An IPD analysis of 10 double-blind RCTs (n=2,584) compared five antidepressants with placebo for acute pediatric MDD. Subgroup analyses showed fluoxetine had greater symptom reduction in children, females, White participants, healthy-weight patients, and severe baseline symptoms (MDs roughly -3.9 to -2.6). Paroxetine showed efficacy in adolescents and healthy-weight participants but worse tolerability in some subgroups (ORs up to 1.95). No subgroup differences were seen for suicide-related outcomes, but most trials had some risk of bias and results require external validation. 1

Inventory of US pediatric vision screening and follow-up quality measures

This review identified 50 screening and 34 follow-up pediatric vision measures from US sources (2009–2024). Evidence exists for reliability, validity, and usability for many screening measures, but feasibility varied and some measures lacked feasibility evidence. Reported barriers include data infrastructure gaps, measure standardization issues, and variation by population and setting. Authors recommend prioritizing feasible, standardized follow-up measures and integrated data systems to support measurement and outcomes. 2

Home-based exercise improves aerobic capacity but not consistently other outcomes

Systematic review of 81 studies (n=2,923) with 19 RCTs meta-analysed found home-based exercise increased aerobic capacity versus controls (SMD 0.53, 95% CI 0.32–0.74). No consistent benefits were found for functional capacity or quality of life compared with controls, and strength data were insufficient for meta-analysis. Adherence was often high (over 80% in many studies), suggesting home programs are feasible across diverse chronic conditions. Most studies reported no adverse events, but reporting quality and intervention detail varied, limiting reproducibility. 3