Summary of findings for the main comparison. Summary of findings: lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) versus iron folic acid (IFA).
| Lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) versus iron folic acid (IFA) | |||||
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Patient or population: pregnant women Settings: community Intervention: LNS Comparison: IFA | |||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | Number of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | ||||
| IFA | LNS | ||||
| Gestational weight gain per week (from < 20 weeks gestation till the time of delivery) | 0 | The mean gestational weight gain per week in the intervention group was 0.46 standard deviations higher (0.44 lower to 1.36 higher) | — | 3539 participants (2 studies) |
⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Maternal anaemia at term or near term (haemoglobin (Hb) less than 110 g/L) | 38/270 | 88/266 | RR 2.35 (1.67 to 3.30) | 536 participants (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Maternal mortality (measured at six weeks postpartum) | 6/3773 | 2/1855 | RR 0.53 (0.12 to 2.41) | 5628 participants (3 studies) |
⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Low birth weight (< 2500 g) | 1100/3241 | 396/1585 | RR 0.87 (0.72 to 1.05) | 4826 participants (3 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Length at birth (in cm) | The mean length at birth in the control groups ranged from 47.4 cm to 49.5 cm | The mean length at birth in the intervention groups was, on average, 0.24 cm longer (0.11 longer to 0.36 longer) | — | 4986 participants (3 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Small‐for‐gestational age | 1943/3240 | 772/1583 | RR 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) | 4823 participants (3 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| Preterm births (births before 37 weeks of gestation) | 426/3290 | 186/1634 | RR 0.94 (0.80 to 1.11) | 5924 participants (3 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ Moderatea |
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI) CI: Confidence interval; IFA: Iron folic acid; LNS: Lipid‐based nutrient supplements; RR: Risk ratio; SMD: Standardised mean difference | |||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Moderate quality: we are moderately confident in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Low quality: our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Very low quality: we have very little confidence in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect. | |||||
aDowngraded by one level (from high to moderate) due to study limitations (lack of blinding of participants and personnel).