Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22770558›Full record

SynthesisBMC public health2012

Effects of micronutrient fortified milk and cereal food for infants and children: a systematic review.

Klaus Eichler, Simon Wieser, Isabelle Rüthemann, Urs Brügger

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC public health, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
57citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
7.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

57 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Fortification of staple foods with vitamin A for vitamin A deficiency.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Klaus EichlerInstitute of Health Economics, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, St, Georgenstrasse, 70 P.O. Box, Winterthur 8401, CH, Switzerland. klaus.eichler@zhaw.ch
Simon Wieser
Isabelle Rüthemann
Urs Brügger
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences · CHWinterthur Museum Garden and Library · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMicronutrient deficiency is a common public health problem in developing countries, especially for infants and children in the first two years of life. As this is an important time window for child development, micronutrient fortified complementary feeding after 6 months of age, for example with milk or cereals products, in combination with continued breastfeeding, is recommended. The overall effect of this approach is unclear.

methodsWe performed a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis to assess the impact of micronutrient fortified milk and cereal food on the health of infants and little children (aged 6 months to 5 years) compared to non-fortified food. We reviewed randomized controlled trials using electronic databases (MEDLINE and Cochrane library searches through FEB 2011), reference list screening and hand searches. Three reviewers assessed 1153 studies for eligibility and extracted data. One reviewer assessed risk of bias using predefined forms.

resultsWe included 18 trials in our analysis (n = 5'468 children; range of mean hemoglobin values: 9.0 to 12.6 g/dl). Iron plus multi micronutrient fortification is more effective than single iron fortification for hematologic outcomes. Compared to non-fortified food, iron multi micronutrient fortification increases hemoglobin levels by 0.87 g/dl (95%-CI: 0.57 to 1.16; 8 studies) and reduces risk of anemia by 57% (relative risk 0.43; 95%-CI 0.26 to 0.71; absolute risk reduction 22%; number needed to treat 5 [95%-CI: 4 to 6]; 6 Studies). Compared to non-fortified food, fortification increases serum levels of vitamin A but not of zinc. Information about functional health outcomes (e.g. weight gain) and morbidity was scarce and evidence is inconclusive. Risk of bias is unclear due to underreporting, but high quality studies lead to similar results in a sensitivity analysis.

conclusionsMulti micronutrient fortified milk and cereal products can be an effective option to reduce anemia of children up to three years of age in developing countries. On the basis of our data the evidence for functional health outcomes is still inconclusive.

Indexed as

Child Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaAnimalsChild, PreschoolEdible GrainFood, FortifiedHumansInfantInfant Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaMicronutrientsMilkRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicMicronutrients

Identifiers

PMID22770558
PMCPMC3444335
OpenAlexW2052579775

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.