Topical Preparations for Preventing Stretch Marks in Pregnancy

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 6 studies with a total of 800 subjects. There was no statistically significant average difference in the development of stretch marks in women who received topical preparations with active ingredients compared to women who received a placebo or no treatment (RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.03; 5 trials, n=474; random-effects model, Tau² = 0.09, I² = 65%). Results were consistent with the main effects when we performed a sensitivity analysis excluding studies judged to be at high risk of bias for random sequence generation, allocation concealment or more than 20% missing data for a given outcome (average RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.10; 4 trials, 424 women; random-effects model, Tau² = 0.05, I² = 57%). The was no statistically significant average mean difference in the severity of stretch marks (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.31; 95% CI -1.06 to 0.44; 2 trials, 255 women; Tau² = 0.26, I² = 87%). There was no statistically significant difference in the development of stretch marks in women who received topical preparations with active ingredients compared to women who received other topical preparations with active ingredients (average RR 0.51; 95% CI 0.16 to 1.60; 2 trials, 305 women; Tau² = 0.53, I² = 74%).