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Table 1 Characteristics of the included reviews on child health interventions

From: Essential interventions for child health

Reviews

Objective

Type of Studies included (number)

Cochrane/non-Cochrane

Pooled Data (Y/N)

Outcomes reported

Imdad 2011[8]

To assess the effectiveness of breastfeeding promotion interventions on breastfeeding rates in early infancy.

RCTs and qRCTs: 53

Non-Cochrane

Yes

EBF at 4-6 weeks postpartum

Dyson 2005[9]

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions which aim to encourage women to breastfeed in terms of changes in the number of women who start to breastfeed.

RCTs: 7

Cochrane

Yes

Increasing breastfeeding initiation rates

Haroon 2013[10]

A systematic literature search was conducted for RCTs and quasi-experimental studies comparing breastfeeding education or support to routine care. The

RCTs: 21

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Exclusive breastfeeding rates

Kramer 2012[16]

To assess the effects on child health, growth, and development, and on maternal health, of exclusive breastfeeding for six months versus exclusive breastfeeding for three to four months with mixed breastfeeding (introduction of complementary liquid or solid foods with continued breastfeeding) thereafter through six months.

RCTs: 2

Observational studies: 18

Cochrane

Yes

Exclusive breastfeeding rates

Lassi 2013[20]

The effect of complementary feeding (CF) (fortified or unfortified, but not micronutrients alone) and education on CF on children less than 2 years of age in low and middle income countries (LMIC).

RCTs and qRCTs: 16

Non-Cochrane

Yes

HAZ, WAZ, stunting

Bhutta 2008[21]

The effect of complementary feeding (CF) in food secure and food insecure population

RCTs: 7

Cochrane

Yes

HAZ, WAZ, stunting

Lengler 2004[22]

To assess the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets or curtains on mortality, malarial illness (life-threatening and mild), malaria parasitaemia, anaemia, and spleen rates.

RCTs: 14

Cochrane

Yes

Mortality, malarial illness (life-threatening and mild), malaria parasitaemia, anaemia, and spleen rates.

Meremikwu 2012[24]

To evaluate the effects of IPTc to prevent malaria in preschool children living in endemic areas with seasonal malaria transmission.

RCTs: 7

Cochrane

Yes

Clinical malaria episode, all-cause mortality

Thwing 2011[25]

We performed systematic literature reviews of published studies in P. falciparum endemic settings to determine the protective efficacy (PE) of ACT treatment against malaria deaths among children with uncomplicated malaria, as well as the PE of effective case management including parenteral quinine against malaria deaths among all hospitalized children.

Ata sources

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Malaria mortality

Eisele 2010[26]

To estimate the effect of ITNs and IRS on preventing malaria-attributable mortality in children 1–59 months, and to estimate the effect of ITNs and IPTp on preventing neonatal and child mortality through improvements in birth outcomes.

RCTs: 14

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Protective efficacy, malaria-attributable mortality 1–59 months, prevention interventions in pregnancy

Mathanga 2011[27]

To compare intermittent preventive treatment regimens for malaria in HIV-positive pregnant women living in malaria-endemic areas.

RCTs: 2

Cochrane

Yes

Maternal anaemia, low birth weight, and neonatal mortality

Grimwade 2006[28]

To assess the effects of routinely administered cotrimoxazole on death and illness episodes in children with HIV infection, and in infants of HIVinfected mothers.

RCTs: -

Cochrane

No

-

Siefried 2011[30]

To determine whether, and to what extent, antiretroviral regimens aimed at decreasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection achieve a clinically useful decrease in transmission risk, and what effect these interventions have on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.

RCTs: 25

Cochrane

Yes

Reduction in the proportion infected:

Adeitfa 2009[31]

To assess the effects of routinely administered cotrimoxazole on death and illness episodes in children with HIV infection, and in infants of HIV infected mothers.

RCTs and qRCT: 0

Cochrane

No

-

Chetty 2010[84]

The objective of the systematic review was to pool and evaluate the data on the effectiveness of different infant feeding practices from birth to 18months in achieving HIV-free survival of HIV-exposed infants.

RCTS:17

Observational studies: 17

Secondary articles: 18

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Mixed breastfeeding/replacement feeding up to 6 months of life

Soares-Weiser 2012[34]

To evaluate rotavirus vaccines approved for use (Rotarix, RotaTeq, and Lanzhou Lamb Rotavirus (LLR)) for preventing rotavirus diarrhoea.

RCTs: 34

Cochrane

Yes

Rotavirus diarrhoea, all-cause diarrhoea (severe cases), and hospitalizations and need for medical attention

Soares-Weiser 2004[35]

To assess rotavirus vaccines in relation to preventing rotavirus diarrhoea, death, and adverse events.

RCTs: 64

Cochrane

Yes

Rotavirus diarrhoea, all-cause diarrhoea (severe cases), and hospitalizations and need for medical attention

Munos 2010[36]

To assess efficacy and effectiveness trials of rotavirus vaccines

RCTs: 25

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Hospitalizations

Das 2013[37]

To assess efficacy and effectiveness trials of vaccines

RCTs and qRCTs: 24

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Mortality, rota-virus specific moetality

Imdad 2011[42]

The purpose of this paper was to get a point estimate of efficacy of vitamin A supplementation in reducing cause specific mortality by using Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) guidelines.

RCTs: 21

Non-Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality, diarrhea specific mortality, meningitis, and pneumonia specific mortality

Imdad 2010[43]

To evaluate the effect of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) for preventing morbidity and mortality in children aged 6 months to 5 years.

RCTs: 43

Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality, diarrhea specific mortality, meningitis, and pneumonia specific mortality

Mayo-Wilson 2011[44]

To determine if vitamin A supplementation is associated with reductions in mortality and morbidity in children aged 6 months to 5 years.

RCTs: 43

Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality, diarrhea specific mortality, meningitis, and pneumonia specific mortality

Ahmed 2010[46]

To evaluate the management of severe acute malnutrition according to WHO guidelines

RCTs: 25

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Mortality, weight gain

Lenters 2013[47]

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for SAM including the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol for inpatient management and community-based management with ready-to-use-therapeutic food (RUTF), as well as interventions for MAM in children under five years in low- and middle-income countries.

RCTs: 14

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Case fatality

Theodaratou 2010[49]

To assess the effect of pneumonia case management on mortality from childhood pneumonia.

RCTs: 25

Non-Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality, pneumonia specific mortality

Sazawal 2003[50]

This meta-analysis provides estimates of mortality impact of the case-management approach proposed by WHO.

RCTs: 7

Non-Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality, pneumonia specific mortality

Das 2013[51]

To estimate the effect of community based interventions including community case management on the coverage of various commodities and on mortality due to diarrhea and pneumonia.

RCTs and qRCTs: 24

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Care seeking for pneumonia and diarrhea, treatment failure, case management

Fawzi 1993[52]

A two-part meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship of vitamin A supplementation and child mortality.

RCTs: 12

Non-Cochrane

Yes

All-cause mortality,

Sudfeld 2010[53]

To determine effect estimates of measles vaccine and vitamin A treatment for the Lives Saved Tool (LiST).

RCTs and qRCT: 525

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Preventing measles disease

Brown 2004[54]

To determine the efficacy of intervention with high-dose vitamin A as an adjunct to standard treatment on outcome in acute lower respiratory tract infection in children in developing countries.

RCTs: 5

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Faster recovery; oxygen requirement; raised respiratory rate; hospital stay, mortality

Wu 2005[55]

To determine whether adjunctive vitamin A is effective in children diagnosed with non-measles pneumonia.

RCTs: 6

Cochrane

Yes

Mortality, hospital stay

Grotto 2003[56]

To perform an updated meta-analysis of the effect of vitamin A supplementation on childhood morbidity from respiratory tract infections and diarrhea.

RCTs: 9

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Incidence of diarrhea, incidence of respiratory tract infections

Chen 2008[57]

To assess the effectiveness and safety of vitamin A for preventing acute LRTIs in children up to seven years of age.

RCTs: 10

Cochrane

Yes

Incidence of acute LRTI in one study; an increase in cough and fever; and increased symptoms of cough and rapid breathing

Lamberti 2013[58]

To quantify the protective effects of breastfeeding exposure against pneumonia incidence, prevalence,hospitalizations and mortality

Prospective cohort= 7

Case-control = 3

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Pneumonia mortality

Yakoob 2011[62]

To determine all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality and morbidity in children under five in developing countries for preventive zinc supplementation.

RCTs: 8

Cochrane

Yes

Diarrhea-specific mortality and pneumonia-specific mortality

Lazzirini 2013[66]

To evaluate oral zinc supplementation for treating children with acute or persistent diarrhoea

RCTs: 18

Cochrane

Yes

Diarrhea duration

Gregorio 2009[67]

To compare polymer-based ORS with glucose-based ORS for treating acute watery diarrhoea.

RCTs: 34

Cochrane

Yes

Unscheduled intravenous infusions, duration of diarrhea

Hartling 2006[68]

To compare oral with intravenous therapy for treating dehydration due to acute gastroenteritis in children.

RCTs: 17

Cochrane

Yes

Intravenous infusions, duration of diarrhea, hospital stay, oral intake

Hahn 2002[69]

To compare reduced osmolarity oral rehydration solution with the World Health Organization recommended strength for treating diarrhoea in children.

RCTs: 41

Cochrane

Yes

Unscheduled intravenous infusions

Lenters 2013[70]

To understand which interventions are effective in promoting the use of ORS, and where there are gaps in the literature

RCTs: 19

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Diarrhea episodes

Das 2013[71]

To estimate the effect of antiemetics in gastroenteritis in children

RCTs: 7

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Incidence of vomiting and hospitalization

Christopher 2010[72]

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antibiotics for treating Shigella dysentery.

RCTs: 16

Cochrane

Yes

Incidence of diarrhea

Traa 2010[73]

To review the effect of ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and pivmecillinam for the treatment of dysentery in children in the developing countries.

RCTs: 19

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Rates of treatment failure, bacteriological failure and bacteriological relapse

Das 2013[74]

To review the literature reporting the effect of antibiotics for the treatment of diarrhea due to cholera, Shigella and Cryptosporidium in children under five years

RCTs: 6

Non-Cochrane

Yes

Mortality and cause specific mortality

Musekiwa 2011[77]

To compare the safety and efficacy of ORS ≤270 with ORS ≥ 310 for treating dehydration due to cholera.

RCTs: 7

Cochrane

Yes

Biochemical hyponatraemia