Table 5.

Effect of maternal multivitamins or vitamin A plus β-carotene supplements on the incidence of diarrhea and respiratory infection in children according to sex

Endpoint	Multivitamins							Vitamin A plus β-carotene
	Girls			Boys			p int.†	Girls			Boys			p int.†
	RR*	(95% CI)	p	RR*	(95% CI)	p		RR*	(95% CI)	p	RR*	(95% CI)	p
Diarrhea
All	0.91	(0.74, 1.13)	0.39	0.80	(0.66, 0.97)	0.02	0.37	1.11	(0.90, 1.38)	0.32	0.85	(0.71, 1.03)	0.10	0.07
Acute	0.89	(0.72, 1.10)	0.30	0.81	(0.67, 0.98)	0.03	0.52	1.08	(0.87, 1.34)	0.48	0.83	(0.69, 1.00)	0.06	0.07
Watery	0.91	(0.68, 1.21)	0.50	0.77	(0.59, 1.00)	0.05	0.40	1.13	(0.84, 1.50)	0.42	0.75	(0.58, 0.97)	0.03	0.04
Dysenteric	0.89	(0.67, 1.17)	0.39	0.86	(0.66, 1.13)	0.27	0.87	1.03	(0.78, 1.36)	0.82	0.89	(0.68, 1.17)	0.41	0.48
Respiratory infection
Cough	1.04	(0.92, 1.17)	0.57	1.02	(0.92, 1.13)	0.75	0.74	1.12	(0.99, 1.26)	0.06	0.96	(0.86, 1.07)	0.45	0.06
Cough and fever	1.04	(0.85, 1.28)	0.70	0.99	(0.82, 1.20)	0.95	0.73	1.10	(0.89, 1.35)	0.38	0.94	(0.78, 1.14)	0.56	0.28
“Cough plus”‡	1.10	(0.81, 1.50)	0.55	0.81	(0.60, 1.08)	0.15	0.15	1.13	(0.83, 1.54)	0.43	0.99	(0.74, 1.33)	0.97	0.51
Cough and rapid respiratory rate	1.36	(0.86, 2.16)	0.19	0.97	(0.60, 1.56)	0.90	0.32	0.82	(0.52, 1.28)	0.38	0.62	(0.38, 1.00)	0.05	0.40

^*Relative risk (RR), 95% CI, and p-values are obtained from generalized estimating equations using a log link function with a binomial variance assumption.

^†P _int. test for interaction between regimen and sex from the robust score test.

^‡“Cough plus” defined as cough with ≥ 1 of the following signs: difficulty breathing, chest retractions, and refusal to eat, drink, or breastfeed.