Pediatric Functional Constipation Gastrointestinal Symptom Profile Compared With Healthy Controls.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric gastroenterology
• Patient-reported outcomes
• Quality of life research

Background:

• Patient-reported outcomes are crucial for assessing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in functional constipation (FC).
• Understanding the GI symptom profile in pediatric FC is essential for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the GI symptom profile of pediatric FC patients with healthy controls using validated scales.
• To establish clinical interpretability for FC by identifying minimal important difference (MID) scores.
• To compare the GI symptom profile of pediatric FC patients with those of pediatric irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients.

Main Methods:

• A 9-site study involved 116 pediatric patients with FC and 188 parents completing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Gastrointestinal Worry Scales.
• Scales assessed symptoms including stomach pain, discomfort, swallowing issues, reflux, nausea, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
• Data were also collected from 341 families with healthy children and 43 families with pediatric IBS patients.

Main Results:

• Pediatric FC patients reported a significantly broader range of GI symptoms and worry compared to healthy controls (P < .001), with large effect sizes.
• Pediatric IBS patients exhibited a broader symptom profile than FC patients, with notable differences in stomach pain, discomfort, and worry about stomachaches.
• Constipation scores were similar between pediatric FC and IBS patients.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric patients with FC experience a wide array of GI symptoms and significant worry, closely resembling those seen in pediatric IBS.
• The findings underscore the urgent need for more effective interventions to improve functional outcomes in pediatric FC.