Table 2.
Excluded studies
| Study (design) | Reason behind exclusion |
|---|---|
| Adu-Afarwuah et al. 2007 [28] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Bisimwa et al. 2012 [29] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Fewtrell et al. 2012 [30] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Gibson et al. 2011 [31] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Hambidge et al. 2004 [32] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Krebs et al. 2011 [33] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Ly et al. 2006 [34] (RCT) | No EBF group (no control group) |
| Martin-Calama et al. 1997 [35] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Mehta et al. 1998 [36] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Mosley et al. 2001 [37] (RCT) | Preterm infants |
| Nicoll et al. 1982 [38] (RCT) | Newborn infants |
| Ojofeitimi and Elegbe 1982 [39] (RCT) | Newborn infants |
| Phuka et al. 2008 [40] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Rivera et al. 2004 [41] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids non specified |
| Roy 2006 [42] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo. Malnourished infants |
| Sachdev et al. 1991 [43] (RCT) | Water supplementation. Infants age <4 mo |
| Saleem 2010 [44] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Sarker 2009 [45] (RCT) | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo. No EBF group |
| Schutzman et al. 1986 [46] (RCT) | Newborn infants |
| Simondon et al. 1996 [47] (RCT) | No EBF group |
| Ziegler et al. 2009 [48] (RCT) | Non EBF |
| Ahmed et al. 1993 [49] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Armar-Klemesu et al. 1991 [50] | Age of introduction of solids non specified |
| Arvas et al. 2000 [51] | Medicinal iron supplementation |
| Baker et al. 2004 [52] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Baird et al. 2008 [53] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM) |
| Calvo et al. 1992 [54] | Age of introduction of solids was at 6 mo for both groups |
| Castro et al. 2009 [55] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM), no data on postnatal birth wt and conditions |
| Chantry et al. 2007 [56] | Non EBF (other foods introduced) |
| Domellöf et al. 2001 [57] | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo, medicinal iron supplementation |
| Dube et al. 2010 [58] | No analysis on early vs late introduction of solids among the groups |
| Durá Travé & Diaz Velaz 2002 [59] | Early weaned group had mixed feeding (formula + BM) |
| Eissa et al. 1990 [60] | Age of introduction of solids non specified |
| Filipiak et al. 2007 [61] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM), no EBF group |
| Forsyth et al. 1993 [62] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Freeman et al. 1998 [63] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM) |
| Gray 1996 [64] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM) |
| Haschke & van’t Hof 2000 [65] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Heinig et al. 1993 [66] | Mixed feeding (formula + BM), age of introduction of solids = or > 6 months |
| Hokama 1993 [67] | No analysis on association between age of introduction of solids and iron parameters |
| Kajosaari & Saarinen 1983 [68] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Kajosaari 1991 [69] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Kikafunda et al. 2009 [70] | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| Kramer et al. 2011 [71] | Age of introduction of solids at 1, 2, 3 mo |
| Lartey et al. 1999 [72] | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
| López-Alarcón et al.1997 [73] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Marlin et al. 1980 [74] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Marquis et al. 1997 [75] | Infants age group 12-15 mo |
| Messiah et al. 2012 [76] | Non specific information on how exclusive breastfeeding in BF and in CF groups |
| Nielsen et al.1998 [77] | No analysis on association between age of introduction of solids among EBF and growth |
| Piwoz et al. 1996 [78] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Popkin et al. 1990 [79] | Age of introduction of solids non specified |
| Quigley et al. 2009 [80] | No analysis on the type of milk received by CF group |
| Rowland et al. 1988 [81] | Age of introduction of solids non specified |
| Saarinen & Siimes 1978 [82] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo. Mixed feeding (formula + BM) |
| Salmenpera et al. 1985 [83] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Simondon & Simondon 1997 [84] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Sloan et al. 2008 [85] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Victora et al. 1998 [86] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo, low birth weight infants included in the analysis |
| Wilson et al. 1998 [87] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Wilson et al. 2006 [88] | Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo |
| Zhou et al. 2012 [89] | Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo |
N.B: CF complementary feeding, EBF exclusively breastfeeding, mo month