Table 2

Characteristics of interventions

ReviewInterventionPopulationDose (mean range)FrequencyStart of intervention
McCauley et al24Vitamin ALow-risk and high-risk (women with no, moderate, or severe vitamin A deficiency)Great variation between trials: 3000–600 000 IUDaily or weeklyMost studies in second trimester
Rumbold et al45Vitamin CLow-risk and high-risk (nine studies recruited women with high or increased risk of pre-eclampsia)Common dosage 1000 mg (100–2000 mg)DailyMost studies in second trimester
Rumbold et al46Vitamin ELow-risk and high-risk (nine studies recruited women with high or increased risk of pre-eclampsia)Common dosage 400 IU (100 mg, 200–800 IU)DailyMost studies in second trimester
De-Regil et al25Folic acidWomen with and without history of neural tube defects0.4–4.0 mgDailyPericonceptional period (before pregnancy until 12 weeks of pregnancy)
Lassi et al26Folic acidLow riskCommon dosage 5 mg (range 0.01–400 mg)DailyInitiation varied from 8 weeks of pregnancy until 3 days postpartum
An et al27CalciumLow-risk1.0–2.0 gDaily11–24 weeks of pregnancy
Buppasiri et al28CalciumLow-risk and high-risk (three trials recruited only adolescents)1.0 g (range 0.3–2.0 mg)DailyMost trials at or after 20 weeks’ gestational age
Hofmeyr et al29CalciumLow-risk and high-risk (high-risk of pre-eclampsia; adolescents)High dose: ≥1 g/day (1.5–2.0 g), low-dose: <1 g/dayDailySecond trimester
Peña-Rosas et al30IronLow-risk and high-risk (anaemic and non-anaemic women)9–900 mgDailyMost trials before 20 weeks’ gestation
Harding et al31IodineLow-risk75–300 µgDailyDuring pregnancy, postpartum, or pregnancy and postpartum
Makrides et al32MagnesiumLow-risk and high-risk (pregnancy-induced hypertension, risk of PTB365 mg (64–1000 mg)DailyMost trials in first trimester
Ota et al33ZincLow-risk and high-risk (one trial recruited women with high risk of SGA)5–44 mg (90 mg in one trial)DailyBefore conception (two trials from 26 weeks’ gestation)
Soltani et al34ZincNA20 mgDaily6–20 weeks until delivery
Fall et al35MMNMainly low-riskMMN formulation that delivered approximately 1 RDADailyIn pregnancy
Haider et al36MMNLow-risk and high-riskDifferent MMN composition in all trials (14 trials included iron and folic acid in MMN)DailyVaried (first, second or third trimester)
Ramakrishnan et al37MMNLow-risk and high-riskMost trials used UNIMMAP (1–2 RAD) formulation with 30 mg or 60 mg ironDailyFirst or second trimester
Ota et al38ProteinLow-risk and high-risk (well-nourished and undernourished women)Nutritional education
Balanced energy/protein: 118–1017 kcal/6–44 g
High protein: 40 g
Monthly
Daily
Daily
Second trimester
Second to third trimester
Before 30 weeks’ gestation
Makrides et al39ProstaglandinLow-risk and high-risk pregnanciesCommon dosage: 2.7 g of EPA and DHADailyCommonly after 16 weeks’ gestation
Salvig et al40n-3 fatty acidsLow-risk and high-risk (previous PTB or IUGR)2.7 gDailyLow-risk: week 30, high-risk: week 18–21
Duley et al41Reduced saltLow-riskLow dietary salt: 20 or 50 mmol/dayDaily12–20 weeks’ gestation
Salamet al42AntihelminthicsLow-risk and high-risk (infected with intestinal helminth)400 mg albendazole with or without iron/folate or 500 mg mebendazole with ironSingle-dose (iron daily)Second trimester
Radeva-Petrova et al43AntimalarialsLow-risk and high-risk(1) Chloroquine: 300 mg
(2) Pyrimethamine: 100 mg/25 mg
(3) Proguanil: 100 mg
(4) Pyrimethamine-dapsone: 25 mg/100 mg or 12.5 mg/100 mg
(5) Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine: 1500 mg/75 mg
(6) Mefloquine: 500 mg loading dose, 250 mg weekly for 4 weeks, 125 mg weekly until delivery
(1) Weekly
(2) Monthly/weekly
(3) Daily
(4) Every 2 weeks or weekly
(5) Up to four doses
(6) Weekly
From first prenatal visit
Muanda et al44AntimalarialsLow-risk and high-riskAny type of antimalarial drug (chloroquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, mefloquine, dapsone-pyrimethamine)Two to three doses or more, weekly or dailyDuring pregnancy (no specification)
  • DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; IU, international units; IUGR, intrauterine growth restriction; LBW, low birth weight; MMN, multiple micronutrients; NA, not available; PTB, preterm birth; RAD, recommended dietary allowance; SGA, small-for-gestational age; UNIMMAP, United Nations Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation.