Skip to search boxSkip to navigationSkip to main content

Effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants under six months with growth faltering: a systematic review

  • Ritu Rana
    ,
  • Barkha Sirwani
    ,
  • Saranya Mohandas
    ,
  • Richard Kirubakaran
    ,
  • Shuby Puthussery
    ,
  • Natasha Lelijveld
  • Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar
    ,
  • Christian Medical College
    ,
  • Emergency Nutrition Network
    ,
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Research Output: Contribution to journal Review article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

The care of infants at risk of poor growth and development is a global priority. To inform new WHO guidelines update on prevention and management of growth faltering among infants under six months, we examined the effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants between 0 and 6 months. We searched nine electronic databases from January 2000 to August 2021, included interventional studies, evaluated the quality of evidence for seven outcome domains (anthropometric recovery, child development, anthropometric outcomes, mortality, readmission, relapse, and non-response) and followed the GRADE approach for certainty of evidence. We identified thirteen studies with preterm and/or low birth weight infants assessing effects of breastfeeding counselling or education (n = 8), maternal nutrition supplementation (n = 2), mental health (n = 1), relaxation therapy (n = 1), and cash transfer (n = 1) interventions. The evidence from these studies had serious indirectness and high risk of bias. Evidence suggests breastfeeding counselling or education compared to standard care may increase infant weight at one month, weight at two months and length at one month; however, the evidence is very uncertain (very low quality). Maternal nutrition supplementation compared to standard care may not increase infant weight at 36 weeks postmenstrual age and may not reduce infant mortality by 36 weeks post-menstrual age (low quality). Evidence on the effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants under six months with growth faltering is limited and of ‘low’ to ‘very low’ quality. This emphasizes the urgent need for future research. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022309001).

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Review article Peer-review

Original language

English

Article number

837

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 1-21

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Nutrients (Volume 16, Issue 6)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 12/03/2024
  • Published - 14/03/2024

Publication status

Published - 14/03/2024

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/626206
  • Scopus: 85188956651
  • PubMed: 38542748

Access to documents

Publication metrics

Metrics

Download statistics
Download count
1

PlumX, opens in new tab

Captures
55
Mentions
2
4