Follow-up in Childhood Functional Constipation: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Digital Health Interventions
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Childhood functional constipation guidelines emphasize close follow-up.
• Limited evidence exists on optimal follow-up strategies for pediatric constipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of web-based self-management versus phone follow-up for childhood functional constipation.
• To evaluate treatment outcomes based on different follow-up regimens.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 235 children (ages 2-16) with functional constipation.
• Three groups: control (no contact), phone follow-up, and web-based information access.
• Primary outcome: successfully treated children at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Main Results:

• The web group showed significantly higher treatment success at 3 and 6 months compared to control and phone groups (p=0.007/p=0.03).
• No significant difference in treatment success was observed at 12 months across all groups.
• Relapses, fecal incontinence, and laxative use did not differ between the interventions.

Conclusions:

• Web-based self-management promotes faster short-term recovery in childhood functional constipation.
• Patient empowerment through accessible digital information may be more effective than healthcare-led follow-up for improving treatment outcomes.