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Proceedings of the third Childress Summit on pediatric trauma: Advancing multicenter research through the A+
John K Petty1, David M Notrica, Alison Lehane
1Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of General Surgery (J.K.P., A.L., E.H.S., B.K.Y.), Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Department of Pediatric Surgery (D.M.N.), Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona; Department of Pediatric Surgery (R.S.B.), Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC; Department of Population and Public Health Sciences (R.V.B.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Trauma Connection Supportive Care and Wellness (E.H.S.), Critical Illness, Injury and Recovery Research Center (B.K.Y.), Network Philanthropy (M.C.), Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Department of Pediatric (R.T.M.) Surgery, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Insights
Establishing a national pediatric trauma research network is crucial for improving care for injured children. This network will standardize data, identify research priorities, and secure sustainable funding to overcome current challenges in pediatric trauma research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric trauma research and network development.
Background:
- Pediatric trauma is a leading cause of mortality and significant morbidity in children and young adults, incurring substantial economic costs.
- Current pediatric trauma research faces limitations due to dispersed injuries, care variability, and low injury volumes at individual centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a conceptual framework for collaborative pediatric trauma research.
- To identify scientific priorities addressable through network research.
- To outline a roadmap for sustainable funding of a pediatric trauma research network.
Main Methods:
- Convened 49 national experts from diverse fields related to pediatric trauma care and research.
- Conducted premeeting focus groups and in-person sessions including expert presentations and breakout discussions.
- Utilized expert opinion (Level V evidence).
Main Results:
- Emphasized the need for standardized data collection, flexible center participation, and mentorship.
- Identified key scientific priorities: traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic shock, prehospital care, and child abuse.
- Highlighted the importance of standardizing functional outcomes, predictive models, and diverse funding strategies.
Conclusions:
- The Childress Summit advanced the development of a national pediatric trauma research network.
- A coordinated, inclusive, and well-funded network is essential for progress in pediatric trauma science and improved patient outcomes.
Background:
Pediatric trauma remains the leading cause of childhood mortality and contributes to over 8 million nonfatal injuries annually in children and young adults, with associated costs exceeding $908 billion. Despite its public health burden, pediatric trauma research is constrained by geographic dispersion of injuries, variability in care, and low volumes of critical injuries at individual centers.
Methods:
The Summit convened 49 national experts from pediatric trauma, neurosurgery, emergency medicine, counseling, rehabilitation, research methodology, public health, and research organizations. Premeeting focus groups assessed baseline perspectives. In-person sessions focused on three goals: (1) develop a shared conceptual framework for collaborative research, (2) identify scientific priorities addressable only through network research, and (3) outline a roadmap for sustainable funding. Sessions included expert presentations, breakout discussions, and consensus building.
Results:
Summit participants emphasized the need for standardized data collection, flexible center participation, mentorship of junior investigators, and harmonization of care practices to reduce intercenter variability. Scientific priorities included traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic shock, prehospital care, and child abuse. Standardizing functional outcomes and implementing predictive models were highlighted as essential. Funding strategies focused on philanthropic seed funding, industry partnerships, and long-term federal investment, with advocacy identified as a key factor for network sustainability.
Conclusion:
The third Childress Summit accelerated the development national pediatric trauma network research network grounded in the A+ Pediatric Trauma Research Network framework. A coordinated, inclusive, and strategically funded research network is essential to advancing pediatric trauma science and improving outcomes for injured children nationwide. ( J Trauma Acute Care Surg . 2026;100: 995-1000. Copyright © 2025 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.).
Level Of Evidence:
Expert opinion, Level V.
