Association between funding source, methodological quality and research outcomes in randomized controlled trials of synbiotics, probiotics and prebiotics added to infant formula: a systematic review

• Published in: BMC medical research methodology Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 137
• Main Authors: Mugambi, Mary N, Musekiwa, Alfred, Lombard, Martani, Young, Taryn, Blaauw, Reneé
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13.11.2013; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Babies; Baby foods; Bias; Clinical outcomes; Clinical trials; Corporations; Finance; Financing, Organized; Food Industry - economics; Gastrointestinal agents; Humans; Infant; Infant Formula - administration & dosage; Infant formulas; Infants; Methods; Nutrition research; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pediatric research; Prebiotics - adverse effects; Probiotics; Probiotics - adverse effects; Publication Bias; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic - economics; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic - methods; Research Design; Studies; Synbiotics - adverse effects

There is little or no information available on the impact of funding by the food industry on trial outcomes and methodological quality of synbiotics, probiotics and prebiotics research in infants. The objective of this study was to compare the methodological quality, outcomes of food industry sponso...