What do systematic reviews say?

Slow vs faster rates of enteral feed advancement

Slow showed no clear difference in mortality before hospital discharge compared with faster rates of enteral feed advancement (moderate certainty).

• Slow advancement of enteral feed volumes to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.13 [0.91, 1.39]
  13 studies · 3860 participants
  Moderate

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery vs usual care

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery may leads to lower neonatal mortality compared with standard care (low certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.82 [0.68, 0.99]
  5 studies · 125134 participants
  Low

Comparison 2: 2 days oral amoxicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

Comparison 2: 2 days oral amoxicillin + injectable gentamicin… showed no clear difference in neonatal mortality compared with 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin (moderate certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.67 [0.24, 1.85]
  1 study · 893 participants
  Moderate

Comparison 2: 2 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

Comparison 2: 2 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable… showed no clear difference in neonatal mortality compared with 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin (low certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.88 [0.29, 2.65]
  3 studies · 2036 participants
  Low

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery vs usual care

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery probably leads to lower late neonatal mortality compared with standard care (moderate certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.73 [0.55, 0.96]
  2 studies · 40142 participants
  Moderate

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery vs usual care

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery probably leads to lower early neonatal mortality compared with standard care (moderate certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.74 [0.65, 0.85]
  2 studies · 40299 participants
  Moderate

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery vs usual care

Comparison 1: community‐based antibiotic delivery showed no clear difference in sepsis‐specific mortality compared with standard care (low certainty).

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.78 [0.6, 1]
  2 studies · 40233 participants
  Low

Comparison 2: 2 days oral amoxicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Comparison 2: 2 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Comparison 2: 2 days oral amoxicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Comparison 2: 2 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Comparison 2: 2 days oral amoxicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Comparison 2: 2 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin followed by 5 days oral amoxicillin vs 7 days injectable benzylpenicillin + injectable gentamicin

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Community‐based antibiotic delivery for possible serious bacterial infections in neonates in low‐ and middle‐income… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Intervention not reported

The intervention showed no clear difference in mortality prior to hospital discharge (low certainty).

• Delayed introduction of progressive enteral feeds to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.97 [0.7, 1.36]
  12 studies · 1399 participants
  Low

Summary of findings table ‐ Silicone earplugs vs no earplugs

It is very uncertain whether summary of findings table ‐ Silicone earplugs changes all‐cause mortality during hospital stay compared with no earplugs (very low certainty).

• Noise or sound management in the neonatal intensive care unit for preterm or very low birth weight infants 2024 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 2.07 [0.64, 6.7]
  1 study · 34 participants
  Very low

Probiotics vs control

• Probiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  54 studies · 10484 participants
  Moderate

Prebiotic vs control

• Prebiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  7 studies · 686 participants
  Low

Synbiotic vs control

• Synbiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  6 studies · 925 participants
  Low

Targeted individualized vs standard non‐individualized fortification

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Individualized versus standard diet fortification for growth and development in preterm infants receiving human milk 2020 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Adjustable individualized fortification vs standard non‐individualized fortification

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Individualized versus standard diet fortification for growth and development in preterm infants receiving human milk 2020 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found