What do systematic reviews say?

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

It is very uncertain whether pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) changes necrotising enterocolitis, any Bell stage compared with placebo or no intervention (very low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.56 [0.29, 1.06]
  6 studies · 405 participants
  Very low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

It is very uncertain whether pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) changes retinopathy of prematurity, any stage compared with placebo or no intervention (very low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.4 [0.08, 1.98]
  1 study · 120 participants
  Very low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) may leads to lower all‐cause mortality during hospital stay compared with placebo or no intervention (low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.57 [0.35, 0.93]
  6 studies · 416 participants
  Low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

It is very uncertain whether pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) changes chronic lung disease compared with placebo or no intervention (very low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.5 [0.45, 5.05]
  1 study · 120 participants
  Very low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

It is very uncertain whether pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) changes severe intraventricular haemorrhage compared with placebo or no intervention (very low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.75 [0.28, 2.03]
  1 study · 120 participants
  Very low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

It is very uncertain whether pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) changes periventricular leukomalacia compared with placebo or no intervention (very low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.5 [0.1, 2.63]
  1 study · 120 participants
  Very low

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) vs placebo or no intervention

Pentoxifylline with antibiotics (any dose or duration) showed no clear difference in length of hospital stay (LOS) in days compared with placebo or no intervention (low certainty).

• Pentoxifylline for treatment of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 157 participants
  Low

Summary of findings table ‐ Sucrose (any concentration, any dose, with or without NNS) vs placebo or control

• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  7 studies · 547 participants
  Moderate
• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 227 participants
  Low
• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 164 participants
  Moderate

Summary of findings table ‐ Sucrose (any concentration, any dose, with or without NNS) vs placebo or control

• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 192 participants
  Low

Summary of findings table ‐ Sucrose (any concentration, any dose, with or without NNS) vs placebo or control

• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 32 participants
  Very low

Summary of findings table ‐ Sucrose (any concentration, any dose, with or without NNS) vs placebo or control

• Sucrose analgesia for heel‐lance procedures in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 56 participants
  Moderate

Opioids vs oral sweet solution or non‐pharmacological intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Opioids for procedural pain in neonates 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Probiotics administered exclusively after birth in mothers of preterm infants vs placebo or no intervention

Probiotics administered exclusively after birth in mothers of… showed no clear difference in any necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) compared with maternal placebo or no intervention (low certainty).

• Maternal probiotic supplementation for prevention of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.44 [0.13, 1.46]
  1 study · 58 participants
  Low

Intervention not reported

The intervention probably leads to lower any upper gastrointestinal bleeding in infants at risk of upper… (moderate certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for prevention and treatment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in newborn infants 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.36 [0.22, 0.58]
  4 studies · 329 participants
  Moderate