Comparison 1. Joel‐Cohen versus Pfannenstiel incision.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Postoperative febrile morbidity	2	411	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.35 [0.14, 0.87]
1.1 Joel‐Cohen versus Pfannenstiel incision	2	411	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.35 [0.14, 0.87]
2 Postoperative analgesia on demand	1	101	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.55 [0.40, 0.76]
3 Time between surgery and first dose of analgesic (hours)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.80 [0.12, 1.48]
4 Total dose of analgesics in 24 hours	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.89 [‐1.19, ‐0.59]
5 Number of analgesic injections required	0	0	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
6 Duration of analgesics (hours)	0	0	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
7 Number of analgesic doses required	0	0	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
8 Estimated blood loss (mL)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐58.0 [‐108.51, ‐7.49]
9 Change in pre‐ and postoperative haemoglobin levels (g)	0	0	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
10 Blood transfusion	1	310	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
11 Wound infection as defined by trial authors	1	310	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.56 [0.45, 5.42]
12 Wound haematoma	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
13 Postoperative pain absent on day 1	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
14 Postoperative pain absent on day 2	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
15 "Significant" postoperative pain by visual analogue score	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
16 Time (hours) from surgery to start of breastfeeding	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐5.5 [‐13.62, 2.62]
17 Total operative time (minutes)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐11.40 [‐16.55, ‐6.25]
18 Need for re‐laparotomy	1	310	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
19 Long‐term "significant" wound pain assessed by visual analogue score	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
20 Not satisfied with wound	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
21 Delivery time (minutes)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐1.90 [‐2.53, ‐1.27]
22 5‐minute Apgar score less than 7	0	0	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
23 Admissions to special care baby unit ‐ all types	1	310	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.19 [0.44, 3.20]
24 Admission to special care baby unit ‐ emergency caesarean section	1	98	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.45 [0.54, 3.86]
25 Postoperative hospital stay for mother (days)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐1.5 [‐2.16, ‐0.84]
26 Stay in special care nursery (days)	1	101	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.46 [‐0.95, 0.03]