Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31993631›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of epidemiology2021

Evidence of detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on offspring birthweight and neurodevelopment from a systematic review of quasi-experimental studies.

Loubaba Mamluk, Timothy Jones, Sharea Ijaz, Hannah B Edwards, Jelena Savović, Verity Leach, Theresa H M Moore, Stephanie von Hinke, Sarah J Lewis, Jenny L Donovan and 4 more

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

Synthesis in International journal of epidemiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
15.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

34 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Loubaba MamlukMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Timothy JonesDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Sharea IjazDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Hannah B EdwardsDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Jelena SavovićDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Verity LeachDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Theresa H M MooreDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Stephanie von HinkeDepartment of Economics, School of Economics, Finance and Management, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Sarah J LewisDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Jenny L DonovanDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Deborah A LawlorMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
George Davey SmithMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Abigail FraserMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Luisa ZuccoloMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

Department of HealthEuropean Research Council 669545Medical Research Council G0902144Medical Research Council G1002345Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/6Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/1Medical Research Council MR/K025643/1Medical Research Council MR/M009351/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSystematic reviews of prenatal alcohol exposure effects generally only include conventional observational studies. However, estimates from such studies are prone to confounding and other biases.

objectivesTo systematically review the evidence on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational designs using alternative analytical approaches to improve causal inference. SEARCH STRATEGY: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PsychINFO from inception to 21 June 2018. Manual searches of reference lists of retrieved papers. SELECTION CRITERIA: RCTs of interventions to stop/reduce drinking in pregnancy and observational studies using alternative analytical methods (quasi-experimental studies e.g. Mendelian randomization and natural experiments, negative control comparisons) to determine the causal effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on pregnancy and longer-term offspring outcomes in human studies. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: One reviewer extracted data and another checked extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using customized risk of bias tools. A narrative synthesis of findings was carried out and a meta-analysis for one outcome. MAIN

resultsTwenty-three studies were included, representing five types of study design, including 1 RCT, 9 Mendelian randomization and 7 natural experiment studies, and reporting on over 30 outcomes. One study design-outcome combination included enough independent results to meta-analyse. Based on evidence from several studies, we found a likely causal detrimental role of prenatal alcohol exposure on cognitive outcomes, and weaker evidence for a role in low birthweight.

conclusionNone of the included studies was judged to be at low risk of bias in all domains, results should therefore be interpreted with caution. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This study is registered with PROSPERO, registration number CRD42015015941.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingInfant, Low Birth WeightBiasBirth WeightFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornPregnancyAlcoholcausal inferenceFASDMendelian randomizationnegative controlneurodevelopmentpregnancyprenatal alcohol exposurequasi-experimental studiessystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31993631
PMCPMC7825937
OpenAlexW3004237013

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.