TY - JOUR T1 - Highlights from this issue JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition JO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed SP - F499 LP - F499 DO - 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316288 VL - 103 IS - 6 AU - Martin Ward Platt Y1 - 2018/11/01 UR - http://fn.bmj.com/content/103/6/F499.abstract N2 - While there are many strategies for reducing the risk of BPD, the place of corticosteroids remains uncertain in spite of its long history. This month we publish a network meta-analysis by Zhang et al which evaluates the relative benefits and harms of the different steroids and different modes of administration. Network meta-analysis is itself a relatively new statistical technique which allows inferences to be drawn about the relative effectiveness of therapies even when there have been no direct trials between certain combinations of therapies. We will shortly be publishing a paper which explains network meta-analysis and we hope that we will see more papers like Zeng’s in the future. However, we must also be cautious: as with all meta-analyses, there are underlying assumptions and value judgements, and the accompanying Editorial by Henry Halliday succinctly summarises where the important gaps remain in our current knowledge. In particular, we need to know more about early low dose hydrocortisone, inhaled budesonide, and budesonide given with surfactant. See page F506 and F500 Genome sequencing and stem cell treatments share a rosy public perception as panaceas that will one day … ER -