Egg consumption and growth in children: a meta-analysis of interventional trials

Introduction

Stunting and wasting are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, putting children at risk for disease and disability. Eggs are a nutrient-rich food that can potentially facilitate growth.

Purpose

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential beneficial effect of egg supplementation on growth in children.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed and Healthline (Ovid) were systematically searched for interventional studies on egg supplementation for growth in children aged 6 months to 18 years, with no restrictions on date. Studies were evaluated for quality using Cochrane's GRADE technique. Data were pooled and reported as means and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Seven studies reporting on 9 unique interventions in 3,575 male and female participants were included in the meta-analysis. Participants in the intervention groups experienced significantly greater increases in height/length (by 0.47 [0.13, 0.80] cm, p < 0.01) and weight (by 0.07 [0.01, 0.13] kg, p = 0.03) when compared to those in the control groups.

Conclusion

Eggs are an affordable, nutritious option for improving growth in children, though more studies with longer interventions are warranted.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021289609: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/).

The pathophysiology of preeclampsia in view of the two-stage model

Preeclampsia is a common and severe disease in pregnancy, a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The main features of the disease are de novo hypertension after the 20th gestational week and proteinuria, and it is frequently accompanied by edema and other subjective symptoms. The origin of the disease is the placenta, but its sequelae affect multiple organ systems. According to the two-stage model of preeclampsia, the abnormal and hypoperfused placenta (stage 1) releases factors to the bloodstream, which are responsible for the maternal symptoms (stage 2). Oxidative stress, impaired function of nitric-oxide synthase, cellular and humoral immunological factors play an important role in the pathophysiology of the placenta. Endothelial dysfunction is the common denominator of the clinical symptoms. The theory explains the origins of hypertension, proteinuria, edema and other symptoms as well. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 1167–1176.