Global disease burden of respiratory syncytial virus in preterm children in 2019: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis protocol

Existing guidelines on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis differ greatly by gestational age (GA) and other underlying risk factors, highlighting the data gaps in RSV disease burden among preterm infants. We will conduct a systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of RSV global disease burden among preterm-born children. Three databases, Medline, Embase, and Global Health, will be searched for relevant studies on RSV disease burden for 2019 or before in preterm-born children published between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2021. IPD will be sought by contacting the investigators identified from published literature and from existing collaboration networks. One-stage and 2-stage random-effects meta-analyses will be used to combine information from IPD and non-IPD studies to produce summary RSV burden estimates of incidence rate, hospital admission rate, and in-hospital case fatality ratio. The framework will be extended to examine subgroup(s) with the most substantial RSV disease burden.