Table 3 Methodological quality assessment for cohort studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS)
From: Zika virus infection in pregnancy: a systematic review of disease course and complications
New Castle Ottawa Scale | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Study ID | McCarthy, M [22] (retrospective cohort study) | Schuler-Faccini [26] (retrospective cohort study) | Kleber de Oliveira [29] (retrospective cohort study) | Cauchemez S [31] (retrospective cohort study) | Brasil Patricia [33] 2016 (prospective cohort study) |
Representativeness of exposed cohort | Not population based (Gotten from a teaching hospital in Salvador, one state) | a(infants born in eight of Brazil’s states 26 states and reported to the registry) | a(infants born in three of Brazil’s states 26 states and reported to the registry) | a(datasets from the French Polynesia Zika virus outbreak) | Not population based (Gotten from centers in Rio de Janeiro, one state) |
Truly representative of the average womana | |||||
Somewhat representative of the average womana | |||||
Selected group of users | |||||
No description of the derivation of the cohort | |||||
Selection of non-exposed cohort | No non-exposed cohort | No non-exposed cohort | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals |
Drawn from the same community as the exposed cohorta | |||||
Drawn from a different source | |||||
No description of the derivation of the non-exposed cohort | |||||
Ascertainment of exposure | No description | No description | a (Registry) | a(Serological and surveillance data) | a(data gotten from clinical and US data) |
Secure records (e.g., surgical records)a | |||||
Structured interviewa | |||||
Written self-report | |||||
No description | |||||
Demonstration that outcome of interest not present at study start | a (Yes, MCP or familial history was excluded) | No | No | No | a(Yes. No women had had diagnoses of fetal malformations in the current pregnancy before enrollment) |
Yesa | |||||
No | |||||
Comparability of cohorts on the basis of the design or analysis | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals | Only one cohort of exposed individuals |
Study controls for gestational age and/or birth weighta | |||||
Study controls for any additional factora | |||||
Assessment of outcome | No description | a(Record (registry) linkage implied) | a(Record linkage) | a(Record linkage from datasets) | a(Record linkage and self-report as they were followed up weekly by telephone) |
Independent blind assessmenta | |||||
Record linkagea Self-report | |||||
No description | |||||
Follow-up long enough for outcomes to occur | No | a(Yes, for mothers of infants with MCPb born during August to October 2015) | a(Yes, from January 1, 2015–January 7, 2016) | a(Yes, over a 23-month study period) | a(Yes, women were followed up from September 2015 through February 2016) |
Yesa | |||||
No | |||||
Adequacy of follow-up of cohorts | Not reported | a(all subjects accounted for) | Not reported | a(All subjects accounted for) | a(all subjects accounted for) |
Complete follow-up – all subjects accounted fora | |||||
Subjects lost to follow-up unlikely to introduce bias or description provided of those losta | |||||
No statement | |||||
Total number of stars | 1 star | 4 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars |