Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41667625›Full record

ArticleJournal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association2026

Are guidelines needed? International perspectives on decision-making and practice variation in the care of extremely preterm infants.

Rosa Geurtzen, Simone Klijntjes, Maureen Stegeman, Marije Hogeveen, A A E Eduard Verhagen, Lien De Proost, Charles C Roehr, E J Joanne Verweij, Bernard Barzilay

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Rosa GeurtzenDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Rosa.Geurtzen@radboudumc.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5640-6160
Simone KlijntjesDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Maureen StegemanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Marije HogeveenDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2562-7606
A A E Eduard VerhagenDepartment of Pediatrics, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Lien De ProostDepartment of Medical Ethics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Charles C RoehrFaculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
E J Joanne VerweijDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Bernard BarzilayDepartment of Neonatology, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Centre, Bnei Brak, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine international perspectives on the necessity of guidelines for the care of extremely preterm infants (EPIs), what forms such guidance should take, and the extent of practice variation neonatologists find acceptable. STUDY

designAnonymous, online, cross-sectional international survey among neonatologists, exploring current and preferred guidelines and hypothetical scenarios testing acceptance of practice variation in EPI decision-making.

resultsWe analyzed 127 responses from 47 countries. Most respondents (55%) preferred a guideline using gestational age (GA) alongside other prognostic factors; 13% preferred no guideline. In scenarios involving borderline viability, variation was accepted when based on parental wishes, cultural norms, or resource constraints, but not when reflecting hospitals or individual differences. Views on directive counseling were divided.

conclusionsNeonatologists support flexible, structured guidelines that consider more than GA alone. Variation is acceptable when reflecting parental values, cultural norms, or resource constraints but not when driven by individual or institutional preferences.

Identifiers

PMID41667625

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.