There is paucity of evidence examining quality of life in children with HD and ARM prioritizing dimensions other than physical functioning, such as psychosocial functioning in a precise manner. As such, we have developed a systematic review protocol to narratively and quantitatively summarize the physical and psychosocial functioning of children affected by HD and ARM in hopes of addressing this limitation. The following databases were searched on Nov 5, 2019: MEDLINE including Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (1946 to October 25, 2019) and Embase (1947 to 2019 October 25) and the CENTRAL Trials Registry of the Cochrane Collaboration (September 2019 Issue) using the Ovid interface. Searches were limited to English, to journal articles, and articles published since 2006. This review will identify retrospective and prospective cohort studies, case-control studies, case studies with greater than 5 participants, and randomized-control trials where the quality of life (i.e., physical and/or social functioning) of children aged 0-18 years with either anorectal malformations or Hirschprung’s disease is reported by children or parent proxies. Understanding the quality of life of children affected by HD and ARM after surgery will help clinical practitioners, specifically surgeons, create tailored and comprehensive protocols for managing these diseases while recognising the physical, social, and emotional toll they can inflict on children.
Protocol for a systematic review: Universal school‐based programmes for improving social and emotional outcomes in children aged 3–11 years: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
