Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar

Background and purpose: Constipation is a significant health issue among children, requiring prompt screening and early diagnosis due to its substantial contribution to disease burden. Probiotics, which colonize the bowel, are known to exert positive effects on the gut microbiota. While probiotics h...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Khatereh Shiroud Bakhshi, Atlas Nahvi, Bahareh Lashtoo Aghaee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21138-en.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850085693196337152
author Khatereh Shiroud Bakhshi
Atlas Nahvi
Bahareh Lashtoo Aghaee
author_facet Khatereh Shiroud Bakhshi
Atlas Nahvi
Bahareh Lashtoo Aghaee
author_sort Khatereh Shiroud Bakhshi
collection DOAJ
description Background and purpose: Constipation is a significant health issue among children, requiring prompt screening and early diagnosis due to its substantial contribution to disease burden. Probiotics, which colonize the bowel, are known to exert positive effects on the gut microbiota. While probiotics have been extensively studied in relation to various gastrointestinal disorders, there is limited research specifically addressing their efficacy in managing pediatric constipation. To address this gap, we designed a study to evaluate the impact of probiotics on the treatment of constipation in children attending the Imam Sajad hospital clinic in Ramsar, Iran. Materials and methods: This double-blind clinical trial involved 90 children diagnosed with constipation, who were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group. For each child, a checklist was first completed, and all children received toilet training conducted by the researcher. The control group received standard treatment for constipation, which included 0.7-1.5 grams per kilogram of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) powder (Pidrolox). The intervention group received the same standard treatment in addition to a probiotic supplement (Kidy Lact). The study duration was four weeks and all the patients were clinically examined at two and four weeks after the intervention. The primary assessment criteria included stool consistency, the frequency of incontinence episodes per week, the presence of abdominal pain, and painful bowel movements. Secondary evaluations focused on treatment success and any adverse effects, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Results: After two weeks, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups regarding stool frequency, painful defecation, incontinence, and abdominal pain (P=0.30, P=0.85, P=0.53, and P=0.23, respectively). Furthermore, after four weeks, stool frequency and incontinence did not show significant differences between the two groups (P=0.22 and P=0.53, respectively). However, the frequency of painful bowel movements in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (P=0.04). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, adding probiotics to the standard treatment for functional constipation, such as Polyethylene Glycol powder, may be beneficial for children. To obtain more precise results, it is recommended that long-term studies be conducted using probiotics. (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20230107057070N2)
format Article
id doaj-art-80e32c98eb9c4f3d8412067b6fdc6b13
institution DOAJ
issn 1735-9260
1735-9279
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
record_format Article
series Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
spelling doaj-art-80e32c98eb9c4f3d8412067b6fdc6b132025-08-20T02:43:39ZengMazandaran University of Medical SciencesJournal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences1735-92601735-92792025-01-01342418997Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, RamsarKhatereh Shiroud Bakhshi0Atlas Nahvi1Bahareh Lashtoo Aghaee2 Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Ramsar Campus, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Ramsar, Iran Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramsar Campus, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Ramsar, Iran Background and purpose: Constipation is a significant health issue among children, requiring prompt screening and early diagnosis due to its substantial contribution to disease burden. Probiotics, which colonize the bowel, are known to exert positive effects on the gut microbiota. While probiotics have been extensively studied in relation to various gastrointestinal disorders, there is limited research specifically addressing their efficacy in managing pediatric constipation. To address this gap, we designed a study to evaluate the impact of probiotics on the treatment of constipation in children attending the Imam Sajad hospital clinic in Ramsar, Iran. Materials and methods: This double-blind clinical trial involved 90 children diagnosed with constipation, who were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group. For each child, a checklist was first completed, and all children received toilet training conducted by the researcher. The control group received standard treatment for constipation, which included 0.7-1.5 grams per kilogram of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) powder (Pidrolox). The intervention group received the same standard treatment in addition to a probiotic supplement (Kidy Lact). The study duration was four weeks and all the patients were clinically examined at two and four weeks after the intervention. The primary assessment criteria included stool consistency, the frequency of incontinence episodes per week, the presence of abdominal pain, and painful bowel movements. Secondary evaluations focused on treatment success and any adverse effects, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Results: After two weeks, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups regarding stool frequency, painful defecation, incontinence, and abdominal pain (P=0.30, P=0.85, P=0.53, and P=0.23, respectively). Furthermore, after four weeks, stool frequency and incontinence did not show significant differences between the two groups (P=0.22 and P=0.53, respectively). However, the frequency of painful bowel movements in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (P=0.04). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, adding probiotics to the standard treatment for functional constipation, such as Polyethylene Glycol powder, may be beneficial for children. To obtain more precise results, it is recommended that long-term studies be conducted using probiotics. (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20230107057070N2)http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21138-en.pdfprobioticsconstipationchildrenpidrolox powder
spellingShingle Khatereh Shiroud Bakhshi
Atlas Nahvi
Bahareh Lashtoo Aghaee
Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
probiotics
constipation
children
pidrolox powder
title Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
title_full Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
title_fullStr Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
title_short Evaluating the Impact of Probiotics on Paediatric Constipation at Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar
title_sort evaluating the impact of probiotics on paediatric constipation at imam sajjad hospital ramsar
topic probiotics
constipation
children
pidrolox powder
url http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21138-en.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT khaterehshiroudbakhshi evaluatingtheimpactofprobioticsonpaediatricconstipationatimamsajjadhospitalramsar
AT atlasnahvi evaluatingtheimpactofprobioticsonpaediatricconstipationatimamsajjadhospitalramsar
AT baharehlashtooaghaee evaluatingtheimpactofprobioticsonpaediatricconstipationatimamsajjadhospitalramsar