Table 2.
Study characteristics and the association between anaemia or iron deficiency during postnatal period and maternal fatigue
| Author & Year | Study Design and Setting | Risk of Bias | Sample Size | Assessment Tool | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamm et al. 2020 [23] | RCT open-label; USA | Moderate | N = 66 (single RBCs: 33, multiple RBCs; 33) | MFI | P = 0.13 |
| Holm et al. 2019 [24] | RCT open-label; Denmark | Moderate | N = 85 (Oral iron; 44, and Iron isomaltoside; 41) | MFI | P < .0001 |
| Prick et al. 2014 [35] | RCT open-label; Netherlands | Moderate | N = 521 (Non-intervention; 262, RBCs; 259) | MFI and SF-36 | P = 0.01 |
| Westad et al. 2008 [36] | RCT open-label; Norway | Moderate | N = 128 (IV + oral iron; 58, oral iron only; 70 | MFI and SF-36 | P = 0.03 |
| Hatzis et al. 2003 [37] | Matched intervention trial; Greece | Moderate | N = 74 (EPO; 37 and oral iron; 37) | Physical assessment: clinical symptoms of fatigue | P = 0.0012 |
| Chandrasekaran et al. 2018 [9] | Prospective Observational; Canada | Moderate | N = 248 | SF-36 | OR: 1.03 (95% CI: 0.34; 2.94) |
| Van Der Woude et al. 2014 [8] | Prospective Cohort; Netherlands | Moderate | N = 220 (Anaemic; 112, No anaemia; 108) | SF-36 | P = 0.008a |
| Miller et al. 2016 [32] | Prospective Observational; USA | High | N = 63 | SF-36 and MFI | P > 0.05 |
| Jansen et al. 2007 [38] | Prospective Cohort: Netherlands | High | N = 141 | MFI | P = 0.002 |
| Lee et al. 1999 [39] | Prospective Observational; USA | High | N = 30 | Lee Fatigue Scale |
r = -.27, p < .05b r = -.44, p = .01c |
| Paterson et al. 1994 [34] | Prospective Observational; United Kingdom | High | N = 1010 | Physical assessment: feeling low energy | P = 0.05 |
Abbreviations: IV intravenous MFI multi-fatigue dimension inventory, SF-36 Short Form-36, RCT randomised controlled trial, RBCs Red Blood Cells, r Pearson correlation coefficient
aUn-adjusted
bLow ferritin levels
cLow haemoglobin levels