Comparison of efficacy of needle-free injection versus injection by needle for iron supplementation of piglets: a double blind randomized controlled trial

Table 5 Estimated difference in means and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) between three iron supplementation methods (Needle-Free injection, injection by needle and no treatment) in course of time on the body weight (in Kg), derived from the multivariate model

Model parameter	Time point	Effect estimate (Kg)	95% CI
			Lower limit	Upper limit
Mean weight group C	Day 3	1.97	1.42	2.52
Effect of time	Day 14	2.68^a	1.97	3.39
	Day 26	5.89^a	5.18	6.60
	Day 40	10.56^a	9.85	11.26
Additional effects (difference between means) of group at time points relative to the same time point of the Control group
Needle group	Day 3	− 0.05	− 0.69	0.60
	Day 14	− 0.09	− 0.73	0.56
	Day 26	0.06	− 0.58	0.71
	Day 40	0.07	− 0.58	0.72
Needle-free group	Day 3	− 0.05	− 0.70	0.59
	Day 14	− 0.38	− 1.03	0.26
	Day 26	− 0.33	− 0.98	0.32
	Day 40	− 0.28	− 0.93	0.37

If a confidence interval includes the 0 value there is no significant effect observed
^aIn this model only significant effects of time on body weight are observed but not between groups

ISSN: 2055-5660