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Constipation in children

Aruna Abhyankar1, Iris Carcani-Rathwell, Graham Clayden

  • 1Guy's King's & St Thomas's; School of Medicine, Kings College, London, UK.

BMJ Clinical Evidence
|May 21, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This systematic review examines treatments for chronic constipation in children, including laxatives and behavioral therapies. It assesses effectiveness and safety to guide clinical practice for pediatric constipation management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Clinical Evidence Synthesis

Background:

  • Chronic constipation affects 1-5% of children in the UK and USA, often without clear causes.
  • A significant proportion of children with chronic constipation experience persistent issues into puberty.
  • Painful defecation and withholding behavior are common in children with chronic constipation and fecal impaction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the effects of treatments for chronic constipation in children.
  • To evaluate interventions for clearing the bowel in pediatric fecal impaction.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a systematic literature review up to June 2005, searching major databases.
  • Included 15 systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and observational studies.
  • Utilized GRADE methodology to assess the quality of evidence for various interventions.

Main Results:

  • Identified and evaluated a range of interventions for pediatric constipation.
  • Assessed the effectiveness and safety of treatments based on available evidence.

Conclusions:

  • Presents information on the effectiveness and safety of multiple interventions.
  • Interventions reviewed include anal dilatation, behavioral treatments, laxatives (bulk-forming, osmotic, stimulant), fiber, and oral fluids.
Abstract

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