Raman 2016.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design Parallel RCT Time frame: March 2014 to July 2015 Follow‐up: 6 months Country: India Setting: single centre
Participants	Study characteristics Inclusion criteria: children with SSNS, treated with prednisone for first time or following relapse (includes frequent and infrequent relapsers) Exclusion criteria: infants; secondary nephrotic syndrome; children with BSA > 1 m2 and weight > 30 kg; active infection Baseline characteristics Number (analysed/randomised): intervention group 1 (44/50); intervention group 2 (42/50) Mean age (years): intervention group 1 (5.4 ± 2.9); intervention group 2 (5.2 ± 2.5) Sex (M/F): intervention group 1 (27/13); intervention group (27/13)
Interventions	Intervention group 1 (Body weight‐based) Prednisolone: 2 mg/kg/day (maximum 60 mg) in two divided doses for 6 weeks, 1.5 mg/kg (maximum 40 mg) on alternate days for 6 weeks Intervention group 2 (BSA‐based) Prednisolone: 60 mg/m2/day (maximum 60 mg) in 2 divided doses for 6 weeks, 40 mg/m2 alternate days for 6 weeks
Outcomes	Outcomes relevant to this review Time taken for remission Number of relapses Cumulative dose of prednisolone Adverse effects
Notes	Additional information The median cumulative dose of prednisone was 81 mg/kg (IQR 30 to 115) in the body weight‐based group and 96 mg/kg (IQR 36 to 130) in the BSA group Funding source: supported, in part, by institutional and departmental funds
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	QUOTE: "Block randomization using 20 blocks of two block sizes (4 and 6) was generated using random allocation software version 2.0 (Informer Technologies, Inc.) to allocate the enrolled subjects into one of two groups (BW‐based or BSA‐based prednisolone regimen) in an allocation ratio of 1:1 by a person not directly involved with data collection, analysis or interpretation. This randomization list was concealed from the investigators carrying out the study"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	QUOTE: "Allocation was concealed placing individual assignments (folded twice) in serially numbered, sealed opaque envelopes by a person not involved in the trial"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Clinicians not blinded but statistician was blinded to treatment groups
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	QUOTE: The clinicians were not blinded but "the statistician was blinded to the assigned interventions until initial analysis and preparation of the first draft of manuscript"
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	44/49 analysed for primary outcome. 7/100 (7%) not analysed
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Outcomes presented as medians with ranges and not able to add to meta‐ analyses
Other bias	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to permit judgement