Are there pregnancy complications and prospective obstetric management issues for SCI females?
For several of the questions investigated in this evidence report, quantitative data synthesis was deemed appropriate. However, most of the studies were non-comparative case series and outcomes were in the form of single proportions (e.g., proportion of couples achieving at least one pregnancy). Current meta-analytic methodology generally focuses on data from studies that include a control group, such as randomized controlled trials. From a meta-analytic perspective, one of the strengths of studies that include control groups is that even if there is some degree of heterogeneity in characteristics such as population or intervention across studies, there may be little statistical heterogeneity in the contrast between outcomes in the treatment and control groups across studies. This protection against heterogeneity is not available in studies without a control group. Judicious selection of comparable studies for inclusion in a meta-analysis of single proportions therefore becomes especia
