Clearly defined and relevant clinical outcomes of importance to all key stakeholders are essential if clinical trials, systematic reviews, and guidelines are to translate to the real world and improve patient care. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go in perinatal and pediatric health care. A recent systematic review of interventions for the prevention preterm birth included 103 randomized clinical trials in which 72 different outcomes were reported. This heterogeneity of outcomes limits the synthesis and usability of research,1 and contributes to research waste.2 Core outcome sets (COS) have been developed to address this problem. These are the agreed minimum set of outcomes to be reported in all clinical trials in a specific health condition or area and are also suitable for use in clinical audit or research other than randomized trials.

The Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) Initiative (http://www.comet-initiative.org/) involves individuals interested in the development and application of agreed standardized sets of outcomes, known as “COSs”. Core outcome sets are not meant to be restrictive, and clinical trials would ideally include core outcomes as well as other outcomes of interest. The COMET initiative describes a 5-step COS development process.3 These involve a review of existing knowledge and consensus development approaches to agreeing the COS. Similar to the publication of clear guidelines on clinical trial reporting such as CONSORT (http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/) and PRISMA for systematic reviews (http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma/), standardized guidelines have been developed for COS. COS-STAD4 establishes minimum standards for the development of COS, and COS-STAR5 provides guidance on the final reporting of COS. The importance of incorporating patient perspectives, including patient-reported outcome measures,6 in COS is increasingly recognized.7

The CROWN collaboration (http://www.crown-initiative.org/) involves over 54 journals related to women’s and newborn health who have come together to support The CoRe Outcomes in Women’s and Newborn health (CROWN) Initiative (Aims of CROWN initiative: Box 1). This group has recently published the COS for studies aimed at preterm birth prevention8 and is committed to publishing and disseminating core outcomes to improve Women’s and Newborn health.

Duffy et al. recently performed a systematic review of core outcomes in women’s and newborn health; although this identified 49 COSs registered in women and newborn, only 3 of these related to newborn health.9 One of these is the COIN project: Core Outcomes In Neonatology (http://neoepoch.com/core-outcomes/), which is establishing the most important outcomes for parents, children, and adults who received neonatal care, health-care professionals, and researchers.10

Over 20 years ago, perinatal health-care pioneered the application of systematic reviews to improve care.11 We propose that women’s and newborn's health should again lead the way, reducing research waste and making research more relevant, by developing, disseminating, and applying core outcome sets. The journal Pediatric Research is delighted to demonstrate our interest in publishing core outcomes in newborn and child health, encouraging their use in clinical trials and furthering their wide dissemination, by becoming part of the CROWN Initiative.

List of CROWN member journals

1

Acta Obstetricia et Gynaecologica Scandinavica

2

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (AJOG)

3

American Journal of Perinatology

4

Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics

5

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The

6

Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

7

Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care

8

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

9

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

10

BMC Women’s Health

11

Breast Journal, The

12

Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine(中华围产医学杂志)

13

Climacteric

14

Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology

15

Clinics in Perinatology

16

Cochrane Gynecology and Fertility Group

17

Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group

18

Contraception

19

Contraception & Reproductive Medicine

20

Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology

21

European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, The

22

European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology

23

Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

24

Fertility and Sterility

25

Fertility Research and Practice

26

Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy

27

Geburtshilfe und Frauenhelikunde

28

Ginekologia Polska

29

Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation

30

Gynecologic Oncology

31

Gynecologic Oncology Reports

32

Gynecological Surgery

33

Human Fertility

34

Human Reproduction

35

Human Reproduction Update

36

Hypertension in Pregnancy

37

International Breastfeeding Journal

38

International Journal of Childbirth

39

International Journal of Fertility and Sterility

40

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer

41

International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics

42

International Urogynecology Journal

43

Journal de Gynecologie Obstétrique et Biologie de la Reproduction

44

Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care

45

Journal of Gynecologic Oncology

46

Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease

47

Journal of Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, The

48

Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health

49

Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology

50

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing

51

Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

52

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada

53

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research

54

Journal of Ovarian Research

55

Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology

56

Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing

57

Journal of Perinatal Medicine

58

Maternal and Child Nutrition

59

Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology

60

MCN American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, The

61

Menopause Review (Przegląd Menopauzalny)

62

Menopause: Journal of The North American Menopause Society, The

63

Midwifery

64

Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie (NTOG)

65

Neurourology and Urodynamics

66

New Zealand College of Midwives Journal

67

Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, The (TOG)

68

Obstetrics & Gynecology

69

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

70

Pediatric Research

71

Placenta

72

Post Reproductive Health

73

Prenatal Diagnosis

74

Reproductive Health

75

Reproductive Health Library

76

Russian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

77

Twin Research and Human Genetics

78

Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology

79

Women and Birth

80

Women’s Midlife Health