Importance of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses in Pediatric Nutrition

To address information overload, systematic methods have been developed to identify, assess, and synthesize information. This chapter provides an overview of the basic principles of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, which are considered to be the best study design for answering questions about the effectiveness of an intervention. It also discusses the problems and limitations of using a meta-analytical approach. As the number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses is increasing rapidly, also in the field of pediatric nutrition, it is essential that the strengths as well as the limitations and caveats of this approach are well understood. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel