Characteristics of Maxillofacial Trauma Among Children and Adolescents of South Asia: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: The reported incidence of pediatric facial fractures is relatively low, within age limits of up to 5 years, whereas prevalence increases in children and adolescents. Considering the active growth that takes place in children, maxillofacial trauma can have deleterious effects if it involves growth centers present in the facial region and may lead to disability, morbidity as well as major financial consequences linked to the surgical procedures and hospital stay. Aim of the Study: The present study aimed to evaluate the relative frequency of maxillofacial traumatic injuries in the SAARC countries, examine their demographic features, and recognize the etiological agents and various management strategies employed. Materials and Method: A comprehensive protocol was developed as per PRISMA guidelines. The following focused question was formulated as per PICO format: (P; Children and adolescents of South Asian Origin aged up to 18 years, I; Exposure to maxillofacial trauma, C; Different countries of South Asia, O; Characteristics of maxillofacial fractures incurred in terms of prevalence, etiology, site distribution, and management strategies). Registration was carried out with PROSPERO (CRD42023324294). A thorough and organized digital search was done by two researchers in Scopus, MEDLINE-PubMed, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and a manual search using institutional library resources from the database from January 2003 to January 2024. Results: Data from 21 studies for the systematic review along with data from 18 and 20 studies were meta-analyzed for site and etiology of trauma, respectively. Mandible had a maximum propensity toward fracture (20%). Falls (47%) were the significant cause, followed by road traffic accidents/motor vehicle collisions and injuries from sports. Males were found to be more affected than females. Conclusion: Maxillofacial trauma is a significant healthcare problem. There is poor documentation or research on the subject from many SAARC countries that calls for a more serious approach in the research field. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12663-025-02536-x.