Flow chart showing the sources and identification of the included studies.

<p>Abbreviations: RCT, randomised controlled trial; SAW, steroid avoidance or withdrawal.</p

Summary of findings.

<p>Summary of findings.</p

Forest plot comparing the estimated glomerular filtration rate between the SAW and SB groups of paediatric renal allograft recipients at different time points post-withdrawal.

<p>A. 6 months; B. 1 year; and C. 2 years. Abbreviations: eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; SAW, steroid avoidance or withdrawal; SB, steroid-based; SD, standard deviation; IV, inverse variance; CI, confidence interval. * Data from the TWIST study (Webb 2015) were excluded because the eGFR distribution was likely skewed at 1 or 2 years after withdrawal; thus, it was inappropriate to convert the interquartile range into a standard deviation. Produced by RevMan Version 5.2.</p

Forest plot comparing the risk of AR between the SAW and SB groups of paediatric renal allograft recipients.

<p>A. No stratification; B. comparison at 1 year and over 1 year post-withdrawal; C. stratified by the time of initiation of steroid withdrawal. Abbreviations: AR, acute rejection; SAW, steroid avoidance or withdrawal; SB, steroid-based; M-H, Mantel-Haenszel; CI, confidence interval. Produced by RevMan Version 5.2.</p

Forest plot comparing the risk of adverse events between the SAW and SB groups of paediatric renal allograft recipients.

<p>A. Hypertension, NODAT, infection and CMV infection (fixed effects model, Mantel-Haenszel method); B. delayed graft function and anaemia (random effects model, Mantel-Haenszel method). *Comparison of the risk of at least one type of infection. Abbreviations: NODAT, new-onset diabetes after transplant; CMV, cytomegalovirus; SAW, steroid avoidance or withdrawal; SB, steroid-based; M-H, Mantel-Haenszel; CI, confidence interval. Produced by RevMan Version 5.2.</p

Characteristics of the included studies.

<p>Characteristics of the included studies.</p

Forest plot comparing the change in height z-score between the SAW and SB groups of paediatric renal allograft recipients.

<p>A. No stratification; B. comparison at 1 year and over 1 year post-withdrawal; C. stratified by developmental status; D. stratified by the time of initiation of steroid withdrawal. Abbreviations: ΔHSDS, height z-score change; SAW, steroid avoidance or withdrawal; SB, steroid-based; SD, standard deviation; IV, inverse variance; CI, confidence interval. Produced by RevMan Version 5.2.</p

Summary of survival data.

<p>Summary of survival data.</p