French 1999.

Study characteristics
Methods	RCT
Participants	160 women Inclusion criteria: ASA I or II undergoing elective caesarean under spinal anaesthesia
Interventions	Colloid preload versus crystalloid preload Group 1: pentastarch 10% in 0.9% saline 15 mL/kg Group 2: Hartmann's solution 15 mL/kg All women received a standardised anaesthetic technique with variable anaesthetic dose, followed by standardised surgical positioning.
Outcomes	Maternal: BP; hypotension; block height; uterine incision to birth interval Neonatal: Apgar scores at 1 min and 5 min; cord pH
Notes	Hypotension was defined as SBP below 90 mmHg or < 70% below baseline.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Randomisation method not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Adequate: randomisation code by pharmacy and study drugs "covered with a black plastic bag to ensure blinding"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Blinding: not specifically stated but anaesthetist and women presumably were blinded
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	As above
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Not reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	None apparent
Other bias	Low risk	None apparent