ArticleBMJ open2022
Randomised trials in maternal and perinatal health in low and middle-income countries from 2010 to 2019: a systematic scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Characteristics of longitudinal maternal health studies in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic mapping of literature between 2012 and 2022.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025Pooled it
- Factors influencing the participation of pregnant and lactating women in clinical trials: A mixed-methods systematic review.PLoS medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Identifying and assessing the capacity and experience of trial sites in low- and middle-income countries for high-quality randomised drug trials in maternal and perinatal health.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Factors Influencing Pregnant Women's Participation in Randomised Clinical Trials in India: A Qualitative Study.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2025Article
- Maternal social determinants of health: the hidden face of perinatal mortality in Mexico.International journal for equity in health · 2025Article
- Eliminating gender bias in biomedical research requires fair inclusion of pregnant women and gender diverse people.Communications medicine · 2024Review
- Randomised trials in maternal and perinatal health in low and middle-income countries from 2010 to 2019: a systematic scoping review.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Developmental origins of disease highlight the immediate need for expanded access to comprehensive prenatal care.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo identify and map all trials in maternal health conducted in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, to identify geographical and thematic trends, as well as comparing to global causes of maternal death and preidentified priority areas.
designSystematic scoping review. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Extracted data included location, study characteristics and whether trials corresponded to causes of mortality and identified research priority topics.
resultsWe searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database, a combined registry of trials from multiple sources. Our search identified 7269 articles, 874 of which were included for analysis. Between 2010 and 2019, maternal health trials conducted in LMICs more than doubled (50-114). Trials were conducted in 61 countries-231 trials (26.4%) were conducted in Iran. Only 225 trials (25.7%) were aligned with a cause of maternal mortality. Within these trials, pre-existing medical conditions, embolism, obstructed labour and sepsis were all under-represented when compared with number of maternal deaths globally. Large numbers of studies were conducted on priority topics such as labour and delivery, obstetric haemorrhage and antenatal care. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, diabetes and health systems and policy-despite being high-priority topics-had relatively few trials.
conclusionDespite trials conducted in LMICs increasing from 2010 to 2019, there were significant gaps in geographical distribution, alignment with causes of maternal mortality and known research priority topics. The research gaps identified provide guidance and insight for future research conduct in low-resource settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/QUJP5.
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