In children on mechanical ventilation, early tracheostomy may improve important medical outcomes. However, our data demonstrate the urgent need for high-quality, randomized controlled trials in the pediatric population.

Data were meta-analyzed using an inverse variance, random effects model. Continuous outcomes were calculated as mean differences with 95% CIs, and dichotomous outcomes were calculated as Mantel-Haenszel risk ratios with 95% CIs.

Studies in mechanically ventilated children that compared early with late tracheostomy were included.

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