Thromboprophylaxis in Children: Navigating Uncharted Waters

The rising incidence of pediatric thrombosis, increasing nearly 10% annually over the past decade, underlines a need for effective preventive strategies, particularly in hospitalized children. This narrative review explores existing literature on venous thromboembolism prevention in pediatric patients to clarify current strategies in children undergoing general, orthopaedic, and Fontan surgeries, and with conditions such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and gastrointestinal disease. While recent studies have provided some insights into potential preventive strategies, real evidence is lacking on the best practices for thromboprophylaxis in these patient groups. In the absence of substantial studies, clinicians must rely on individual assessments weighting thrombotic and bleeding risk to effectively and safely manage these "uncharted waters."