Polyethylene glycol versus paraffin for the treatment of childhood functional constipation

ABSTRACT

Chronic constipation is a common elimination dysfunction in children. It can be treated with several drugs of different efficacy in different age groups. This study assessed the efficacy of Polyethylene glycol [PEG] and oral liquid paraffin in treatment of childhood chronic functional constipation. A total of 126 functional constipated children aged 1 to 15 years were divided into two therapeutic groups using systematic and random sampling technique. In addition, children were divided into three age groups of 12 to 23 months, 24 to 59 months and over 60 months old. They were scored based on five main criteria as follow stool frequency per week, painful defecation, blood-stained stools, stool consistency and number of encopresis incidents per month. At the end of one therapeutic month, the scores obtained by drugs were compared with each other. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software, McNamara test, sign test, independent t test, and paired t-test. The scoring in PEG group was increased from 13.13 [ +/- 2.18] to 17.20 [ +/- 2.07] while in paraffin group, it increased from 13.48 [ +/- 1.90] to 16.78 [ +/- 2.51]. Comparison of the mean scores showed a significant difference of the two groups after one month [P=0.02]. Our results have shown that PEG is more effective than oral liquid paraffin for treatment of childhood functional constipation. Therapeutic response to the drugs varied among the different age groups