Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies

NO.	Author	Pentoxifylline group					Control group					Jada scores
		Number	Gestational age (weeks)	Male (n)	Birth weight (g)	Methods	Number	Gestational age (weeks)	Male (n)	Birth weight (g)	Methods
1	Shabaan 2015 [21]	60	30.2 ± 2.5	34	1404 ± 417	intravenous pentoxifylline 5 mg/kg/hr. for 6 h on 6 successive days	60	30.1 ± 2.2	44	1370 ± 471	matched placebo	5
2	Akdag 2014 [22]	51	31 (24–42)	29	1490 (620–4580)	pentoxifylline 6 mg/kg/h intravenously, over 4 h, daily for three consecutive days	51	31 (25–40)	33	1410 (620–4300)	matched placebo	4
3	Adel 2010 [23]	17	35.94 ± 4.04	9	2470 ± 890	pentoxifylline 5 mg/kg/h for 6 h, for 6 successive days	20	36.05 ± 3.2	11	2210 ± 590	matched placebo	4
4	Ali 2006 [24]	25	32–37	–	950–2580	pentoxifylline 5 mg/kg/h for 6 h, for 3 successive days	25	32–37	–	1000–2650	matched placebo	3
5	Selim 2004 [29]	13	37.62 ± 2.43	–	2509 ± 549	initiately 0.5 h before beginning antibiotic therapy and given in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/h by continuous infusion for 24 h	7	38 ± 2.08	–	2822 ± 637	matched placebo
6	Lauterbach 1999 [30]	40	31.6 ± 2.9	23	1690.2 ± 396.5	pentoxifylline 5 mg/kg/h for 6 h, for 6 successive days	38	32.8 ± 3.01	20	1749.8 ± 475.6	matched placebo
7	Lauterbach 1996 [20]	16	31.54 ± 31	–	1752.09 ± 483.4	pentoxifylline 5 mg/kg/h for 6 h, for 3 successive days	16	32.35 ± 33	–	1861.29 ± 511.7	matched placebo