Table 3 Results of meta-analyses with and without unpublished studies
| Number of studies | Number of participants |
Pooled estimate (95% CI) Summary measure | % change in effect size/CI width | Difference in estimates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review | With unpublished | Without unpublished | % lost | With unpublished | Without unpublished | % lost | With unpublished | Without unpublished | ||
| Acute respiratory infections | ||||||||||
| Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis (CD004405) | 25 | 24 | 4.0 | 4121 | 4036 | 2.1 |
0.90 (0.80, 1.01) RR | 0.90 (0.80, 1.01) | 0/0 | Negligible |
| Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (CD000980) | 29 | 27 | 6.9 | 11306 | 11244 | 0.5 |
0.95 (0.92, 0.98) RR | 0.95 (0.93, 0.98) | 0/16.7 | Negligible |
| Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in children (CD002744) | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | 585 | 346 | 40.9 |
−0.13 (−0.21, −0.05) RD | −0.16 (−0.26, −0.05) | 23.1/31.3 | Large |
| Bronchodilators for bronchiolitis (CD001266) | 24 | 22 | 8.3 | 1182 | 1113 | 5.8 |
−0.45 (−0.96, 0.05) MD | −0.29 (−0.79, 0.21) | 35.6/1.0 | Large |
| Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza (CD008965) | 5 | 0 | 100 | 3713 | 0 | 100 |
−21.29 (−29.59, −12.98) MD | NA | NA | - |
| Infectious diseases | ||||||||||
| Artesunate versus quinine for treating severe malaria (CD005967) | 8 | 6 | 25.0 | 7429 | 7198 | 3.1 |
0.71 (0.62, 0.80) RR | 0.72 (0.64, 0.82) | 1.4/0.0 | Negligible |
| Probiotics for treating acute infectious diarrhoea (CD003048) | 35 | 34 | 2.9 | 4555 | 4461 | 2.1 |
−24.76 (−33.61, −15.91) MD | −23.91 (−32.78, −15.03) | 3.4/3.5 | Negligible |
| Developmental, psychosocial and learning problems | ||||||||||
| Iron therapy for improving psychomotor development and cognitive function in children under the age of three with iron deficiency anaemia (CD001444) | 5 | 4 | 20.0 | 162 | 128 | 21.0 |
−1.25 (−4.56, 2.06) MD | −1.96 (−5.17, 3.15) | 56.8/25.7 | Large |