Defecation problems in children with Hirschsprung's disease: a prospective controlled study of a multidisciplinary

E M van Kuyk1, A T Brugman-Boezeman, M Wissink-Essink

  • 1Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Insights

Multidisciplinary behavioral treatment significantly improved chronic defecation issues in children post-Hirschsprung

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • Behavioral therapy

Background:

  • Hirschsprung's disease surgery often leaves children with chronic defecation problems.
  • These issues include constipation, fecal incontinence, and difficult toilet training, impacting quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary behavioral treatment for chronic defecation problems in children after Hirschsprung's disease surgery.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective controlled study compared a behavioral treatment group (14 children) with a waiting-list control group (13 children).
  • Outcomes were assessed on multiple variables, with follow-up at 7 months post-treatment.

Main Results:

  • The treatment group showed significantly better outcomes across all variables compared to the control group.
  • No age-related differences in treatment efficacy were observed.

Conclusions:

  • Multidisciplinary behavioral treatment is a successful approach for managing chronic defecation problems in children with Hirschsprung's disease.
  • The positive effects of the treatment were sustained at follow-up.
Abstract

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