ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2024
Examining the combined effect of antenatal care visits and iron-folic acid supplementation on low birth weight: a pooled analysis of two national data sets from Nepal.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Modeling the Association between Repeated Measures of Hemoglobin during Pregnancy and Adverse Birth Outcomes.The Journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Article
- Prevalence and Associated Factors for Low Apgar Score in Central Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study.Sage open pediatricsArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) has stagnated at approximately 12% for the past 15 years in Nepal, significantly impacting newborn survival. While antenatal care (ANC) visits and iron-folic acid supplementation are recognised as important interventions to reduce LBW, there is a lack of evidence regarding their combined effect. This study aimed to explore the potential synergistic impact of ANC and iron-folic acid supplementation on LBW in Nepal by analyzing data from two national surveys.
methodsThe nationally representative Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys of 2016 and 2022 were used, and the pooled dataset was analysed. Birth weight and the prevalence of LBW (i.e. birthweight < 2500 g) were reported using descriptive statistics. The associations among LBW, ANC visits, and iron-folic acid supplementation were examined using logistic regression analyses.
resultsThe mean birth weight was 3011 g, with an LBW prevalence of 11.2%. Not attending ANC (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.49; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.14, 1.95) and not consuming iron-folic acid supplements (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.84) were independently associated with a higher likelihood of having LBW. Furthermore, when considering both factors together, mothers who attended less than four ANC visits and consumed iron-folic acid for ≤ 90 days had the higher likelihood of having LBW (AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.60) compared to those who did not.
conclusionsThis study highlights that the individual and joint influence of ANC visits and iron-folic acid supplementation on having LBW. These findings underscore the significance of ANC attendance and iron-folic acid supplementation in preventing LBW. Traditionally, these two interventions were primarily considered as maternal survival strategies. However, our findings indicate that these existing interventions could be utilised further for both maternal and newborn survival. Given that these services are offered free of cost and are available near people's homes through the National Safe Motherhood Programme in Nepal, efforts to increase the uptake of these services should be strengthened while emphasising their role in preventing LBW.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.