The incidence of pediatric ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite its importance in being among the top 10 causes of childhood death, there is limited data on the incidence of stroke in children and whether this has changed over time.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the worldwide incidence rate of pediatric ischemic stroke, identify population differences, and assess trends in incidence.

We screened three databases (Medline, Embase, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)) and a Google Search was performed up to October 2021. The protocol was pre-registered: PROSPERO: CRD42021273749. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently undertaken by two reviewers. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis using Stata SE17 to calculate the overall incidence rate. Heterogeneity was assessed using I². Meta-regression and assessment for bias were performed.

Out of 4166 records identified, 39 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and the quantitative meta-analysis. The incidence rate for all ischemic strokes varied from 0.9 to 7.9 per 100,000 person-years, with a pooled incidence of 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-2.76). The pooled incidence was 1.28 (95% CI: 0.75-2.19) per 100,000 person-years for arterial ischemic stroke, and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.31-1.02) per 100,000 person-years for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The incidence of arterial ischemic stroke was high in neonates, less than 28 days old (18.51, 95% CI: 12.70-26.97). Significant heterogeneity was observed in the initial analyses of stroke incidence estimates, and geographical region, cohort age upper limit, length of study, study quality, and study design could not explain this. The incidence rate of childhood stroke appeared remained relatively stable over time.

Our review provides estimates of global stroke incidence, including stroke subtypes, in children. It demonstrates a particularly high stroke incidence in neonates.