Comparison 9. All alternative LE versus S‐LE.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
9.1 Death before discharge	7	623	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.17 [0.66, 2.07]
9.2 Days to regain birth weight	5	484	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.53 [‐0.52, 1.58]
9.3 Rate of weight gain (g/kg/day)	6	497	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.68 [‐0.19, 1.55]
9.4 Bronchopulmonary dysplasia/chronic lung disease	7	602	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.84 [0.63, 1.12]
9.5 Duration of ventilation (days)	6	410	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.27 [‐1.60, 1.06]
9.6 Duration of supplemental oxygen (days)	4	242	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.44 [‐2.01, 2.89]
9.7 Need for home oxygen therapy	1	64	Risk Difference (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.00 [‐0.06, 0.06]
9.8 Culture positive sepsis	3	244	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.52, 2.26]
9.9 Any sepsis (clinical and/or culture positive)	9	674	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.90 [0.66, 1.23]
9.10 Necrotising enterocolitis (≥ stage 2)	4	400	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.34 [0.67, 2.67]
9.11 Significant jaundice requiring treatment	2	109	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.04 [0.52, 2.07]
9.12 Duration of phototherapy (days)	2	70	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.09 [‐1.00, 0.83]
9.13 Retinopathy of prematurity (≥ stage 3)	3	256	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.43 [0.06, 2.85]
9.14 Intraventricular haemorrhage (grade III‐IV)	5	360	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.90 [0.48, 1.70]
9.15 Periventricular leukomalacia	3	240	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.33 [0.01, 7.89]
9.16 Any patent ductus arteriosus	3	320	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.96 [0.75, 1.23]
9.17 Significant patent ductus arteriosus requiring treatment	1	96	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.52, 1.31]
9.18 Air leaks	1	64	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.50 [0.05, 5.24]
9.19 Parenteral nutrition associated liver disease/cholestasis	7	602	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.37, 1.86]
9.20 Hypertriglyceridaemia	4	212	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.59, 1.54]
9.21 Hyperglycaemia	3	176	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.37, 2.46]
9.22 Hypoglycaemia	1	80	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.14 [0.01, 2.68]