A Systematic Review of Effect of Prenatal Zinc Supplementation on Birthweight: Meta-analysis of 17 Randomized Controlled Trials
2011

Effect of Prenatal Zinc Supplementation on Birthweight

Sample size: 6209 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Gebreselassie Samson G., Gashe Fikre E.

Primary Institution: Awassa College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Ethiopia

Hypothesis

Does prenatal zinc supplementation affect birthweight?

Conclusion

The study found no significant association between prenatal zinc supplementation and birthweight.

Supporting Evidence

  • Thirteen of the 17 RCTs found no association between zinc supplementation and birthweight.
  • Three studies reported a positive association, while one reported a negative association.
  • The pooled effect-size estimates were 0.0268 and 0.0712, indicating no significant association.

Takeaway

Giving pregnant women zinc supplements doesn't seem to help babies weigh more at birth.

Methodology

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials.

Potential Biases

Potential confounding bias in observational studies may affect results.

Limitations

The analysis did not control for possible confounding factors.

Participant Demographics

Studies included pregnant women from various countries, with a total sample size of 6,209.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.09

Confidence Interval

[95% CI 0.0764, −0.0229]

Statistical Significance

p=0.09

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