Related Experiment Videos
Long-term follow-up of children with chronic idiopathic constipation
A Staiano1, M R Andreotti, L Greco
1Department of Pediatrics, II School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
Insights
Chronic idiopathic constipation persists in over half of children after five years. Early onset and family history predict ongoing constipation, though pain and soiling improve.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) is a common pediatric condition.
- Long-term outcomes and predictive factors for pediatric CIC require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the five-year outcome of chronic idiopathic constipation in children.
- To identify predictors of constipation persistence and symptom improvement.
Main Methods:
- A five-year longitudinal study followed 62 children diagnosed with CIC.
- Children received standardized initial treatment and were monitored quarterly.
- Statistical analysis compared outcomes based on age of onset and family history.
Main Results:
- After five years, 52% of children still had chronic idiopathic constipation.
- Early age of onset and family history of constipation were significant predictors of persistence (P < 0.05).
- Abdominal pain and soiling significantly decreased in both recovered and unrecovered groups (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Chronic idiopathic constipation persists in at least half of children for five years or more.
- Early onset and family history are key indicators of persistent pediatric constipation.
- Symptomatic improvement in abdominal pain and soiling occurs over time, regardless of constipation resolution.
Abstract:
To determine the outcome of chronic idiopathic constipation, we followed 62 children with chronic idiopathic constipation (mean age: 5.2 +/- 2.8 years) for a period of five years. Each child received the same initial treatment over a 12-week period and was then followed every three months. After five years from diagnosis, chronic idiopathic constipation persisted in 52% of the children; 47% who remained symptomatic were > 10 years old at the time of the five-year evaluation. Of the 27 who were constipated in the first year of life, 63% remained constipated after five years. Children who recovered within the five-year interval were significantly different from those that remained symptomatic in age of onset of constipation (P < 0.05) and family history of constipation (P < 0.05). After five years, both severity of abdominal pain and degree of soiling significantly decreased in both the recovered and unrecovered groups (P < 0.05). This study suggests that chronic idiopathic constipation persists for > or = 5 years in at least half of children. Early age of onset and family history of constipation are predictive of persistence. Abdominal pain and soiling improve in long-term follow-up irrespective of constipation outcome.