Oral iron-based interventions for prevention of critical outcomes in pregnancy and postnatal care: An overview and update of systematic reviews.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral iron-based interventions in preventing critical outcomes in pregnancy and treating critical outcomes in the postpartum phase compared to placebo or no treatment.
Results Summary
Iron supplementation significantly reduced maternal anemia at term by 59% but did not affect low birthweight, preterm delivery, or infant mortality. There was insufficient evidence to determine its impact on postpartum anemia.
Population
Pregnant and postpartum women
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iron-based therapies | decrease | maternal anemia at term | pregnant women | 59% | reduced | #1 |
iron-based therapies | no change | low birthweight | pregnant women | no significant change | no effect | #2 |
iron-based therapies | no change | preterm delivery | pregnant women | no significant change | no effect | #3 |
iron-based therapies | no change | infant mortality | pregnant women | no significant change | no effect | #4 |
iron-based therapies | neutral | postpartum anemia | postpartum women | - | insufficient evidence to determine whether can reduce | #5 |
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to summarize and update the evidence concerning oral iron-based interventions compared to placebo or no iron-based interventions to prevent critical outcomes in pregnancy or treat critical outcomes in the postpartum phase. METHOD: Published systematic reviews (Feb 2018) and primary studies (from 2015 to March 2018) retrieved from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were examined. The AMSTAR (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) tool was used to assess the quality of reviews. GRADE was used to rate the quality of the evidence for critical outcomes. RESULTS: Antenatal care: Compared to placebo/no treatment, iron-based therapies reduced maternal anemia at term by 59% (seven trials at low risk of bias, RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.73; I POSTNATAL CARE: There was insufficient evidence to determine whether iron-based therapies can reduce postpartum anemia. CONCLUSION: Iron supplementation is effective in preventing maternal anemia at term but not low birthweight, preterm delivery or infant mortality.