TABLE 4.
Pooled effects of MMS compared with IFA on weight, WAZ, underweight (fixed effects).
| Effect of MMS vs. IFA | Weight (kg) |
WAZ score |
Underweight (WAZ <−2) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of studies | No. of infants | Mean difference (95% CI), fixed effects | No. of studies | No. of infants | Mean difference (95% CI), fixed effects | Risk ratio (95% CI), fixed effects | |
| Birth | 18 | 60,379 | 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) | 9 | 28,444 | 0.12 (0.09, 0.14) | 0.87 (0.84, 0.91) |
| 3 mo | 7 | 24,990 | 0.11 (0.09, 0.13) | 7 | 24,969 | 0.10 (0.07, 0.13) | 0.86 (0.81, 0.90) |
| 6 mo | 9 | 19,063 | 0.04 (0.01, 0.07) | 9 | 19,041 | 0.04 (0.00, 0.07) | 0.97 (0.91, 1.04) |
| 12 mo | 7 | 16,534 | 0.02 (−0.01, 0.05) | 7 | 16,523 | 0.02 (−0.01, 0.06) | 0.97 (0.92, 1.01) |
| 18 mo | 8 | 2941 | 0.09 (−0.00, 0.18) | 5 | 2926 | 0.05 (−0.03, 0.13) | 0.89 (0.78, 1.02) |
| 24 mo | 4 | 8718 | 0.01 (−0.04, 0.05) | 5 | 10,073 | 0.00 (−0.04, 0.04) | 1.01 (0.96, 1.05) |
The table shows the generic inverse variance weighted pooled mean differences or pooled risk ratios with their corresponding 95% CIs comparing MMS and IFA intervention groups. Number of infants were calculated from effective sample sizes.
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; IFA, iron and folic acid supplementation; MMS, multiple micronutrient supplementation; WAZ, weight-for-age z-score.