SynthesisThe Cochrane database of systematic reviews2010
Vitamin A supplementation for postpartum women.
Synthesis in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutritional supplements and mother's milk composition: a systematic review of interventional studies.International breastfeeding journal · 2021Pooled it
- Retinol-to-Fat Ratio and Retinol Concentration in Human Milk Show Similar Time Trends and Associations with Maternal Factors at the Population Level: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2018Pooled it
- Vitamin A supplementation for postpartum women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Supplementation with multiple micronutrients for breastfeeding women for improving outcomes for the mother and baby.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy for maternal and newborn outcomes.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Trial
- Effect of vitamin A supplementation on cause-specific mortality in women of reproductive age in Ghana: a secondary analysis from the ObaapaVitA trial.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2013Trial
- Trial
- Dietary Vitamin A Intake and Associated Factors Among Lactating Women in Wondo Genet District, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia.Journal of nutrition and metabolism · 2026Article
- Nutritional Status of Breastfeeding Mothers and Impact of Diet and Dietary Supplementation: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Article
- Review
- Nutritional Gaps and Supplementation in the First 1000 Days.Nutrients · 2019Review
- Overview of Nutrients in Human Milk.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2018Review
- Vitamin A intake of Brazilian mothers and retinol concentrations in maternal blood, human milk, and the umbilical cord.The Journal of international medical research · 2018Article
- The role of The Cochrane Collaboration in support of the WHO Nutrition Guidelines.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2014Review
- Vitamins and minerals for women: recent programs and intervention trials.Nutrition research and practice · 2011Article
Corrections and comments
- Updated by
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn vitamin A deficient populations, the amount of vitamin A may be insufficient for maintenance of maternal health and levels in breast milk may be insufficient for breastfeeding infants' needs.
objectivesTo assess the effects of postpartum maternal vitamin A supplementation on maternal and infant health. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 July 2010), LILACS (1982 to July 2010), Web of Science (1945 to July 2010) and Biological Abstracts (1998 to July 2010). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of postpartum maternal vitamin A supplementation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors assessed the studies independently. MAIN
resultsWe included 12 trials at moderate risk of bias, enrolling 25,465 mother-baby pairs and comparing several postpartum doses (200,000-400,000 IU) of vitamin A or 7.8 mg daily beta-carotene, with placebo, iron or no supplement; or higher (400,000 IU) versus lower dose (200,000 IU). The majority of infants in all studies were at least partially breastfed for six months.Maternal: we observed no impact of vitamin A on maternal mortality (two trials of 9,126 women), morbidity (one trial of 50 women) or adverse effects (subset of 786 women in one trial). Vitamin A enhanced serum and breast milk retinol at three months in five trials, but these improvements were generally not sustained.Infant: we observed no significant differences for infant mortality RR 1.14 95% CI 0.84 to 1.57 (five trials (6,170 infants) or morbidity (three trials) except for fewer episodes of fever with vitamin A in one small trial. No significant differences in infant vitamin A status were seen with maternal vitamin A supplementation (five trials).No beneficial effects for maternal or infant health were associated with higher compared to lower doses of vitamin A in two trials. AUTHORS'
conclusionsThe lack of effect on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, with exception of some improved infant morbidity in one small study, and the improvement in maternal vitamin A status, suggest that maternal postpartum vitamin A supplementation offers limited benefits.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.