Prenatal therapies to improve outcomes in gastroschisis: a systematic scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Gastroschisis is a congenital birth defect with a rising incidence. The herniation of intestines into the amniotic cavity leads to prenatal bowel injury, which contributes to significant postnatal morbidity and mortality. Current management focuses on postnatal interventions, though bowel injury begins in utero. Emerging interest in prenatal therapies aims to mitigate this injury and improve outcomes. However, none of these interventions has been widely adopted in clinical practice, highlighting the need for further research and validation. This protocol aims to outline the procedures to conduct a systematic scoping review of prenatal interventions to improve outcomes for gastroschisis, identifying gaps in the literature to guide future research and inform clinical practice. METHODS: This systematic scoping review will follow the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We will include studies on prenatal interventions for gastroschisis in both human and animal models. Key databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and others will be searched. Gray literature and clinical trial registries will also be reviewed. Studies will be screened, selected, and data extracted in duplicate using predefined criteria. Descriptive analysis will summarize findings, grouped by intervention, with outcomes presented in a narrative synthesis. DISCUSSION: This scoping review will be the first to systematically examine prenatal interventions for gastroschisis, addressing a growing clinical need due to its rising incidence and associated morbidity. Despite promising experimental approaches, no prenatal therapies are currently standard practice, underscoring the need for further research. This review will identify existing evidence and highlight knowledge gaps. Findings could inform the development of targeted prenatal treatments, improve clinical outcomes, and support the integration of effective interventions into routine care, ultimately reducing morbidity and mortality associated with gastroschisis. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: The review protocol has been registered within the Open Science Framework database ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/39DSQ ).