Measuring Birthweight in Pregnant Women with Malaria
Author Information
Author(s): Rijken MJ, Rijken JA, Papageorghiou AT, Kennedy SH, Visser GHA, Nosten F, McGready R
Primary Institution: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit
Hypothesis
Differences in birthweight may be attributable partly to methodological difficulties.
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for standardized methods in measuring and reporting birthweight in malaria research.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 33% of clinical trials reported the timing of birthweight measurement.
- 77% of studies explained how gestational age was estimated.
- 44% of articles reported the type of scale used for measuring birthweight.
Takeaway
This study looks at how to measure the weight of babies born to mothers with malaria, showing that many studies don't do it right.
Methodology
A structured literature search was performed to analyze clinical trials that reported birthweight as an outcome.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to missing data on infants not weighed and differences in measurement methods.
Limitations
Many studies lacked detailed methodology on how birthweight was measured.
Participant Demographics
Pregnant women in malaria-endemic areas.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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