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. 2015 Apr;25(2):e425.
doi: 10.5812/ijp.425. Epub 2015 Apr 18.

Flixweed vs. Polyethylene Glycol in the Treatment of Childhood Functional Constipation: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Majid Nimrouzi  1 , Omid Sadeghpour  2 , Mohammad Hadi Imanieh  3 , Mohammadreza Shams Ardekani  4 , Alireza Salehi  4 , Mohamad Bagher Minaei  5 , Mohammad M Zarshenas  6
Affiliations

Flixweed vs. Polyethylene Glycol in the Treatment of Childhood Functional Constipation: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Majid Nimrouzi et al. Iran J Pediatr. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is often considered as the first-line treatment for functional constipation in children. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb et Berth (D. sophia) is a safe recommended medicine in Iranian folk and Traditional Persian Medicine for the treatment of constipation.

Objectives: To clinically compare D. sophia with PEG 4000 (without electrolyte) in pediatric constipation and to assess its efficacy and side effects.

Patients and methods: 120 patients aged 2 - 12 years with constipation for at least 3 months were included in an 8 weeks lasting randomized controlled trial within two parallel-groups. Children received either PEG, 0.4 g/kg/day, or D. sophia seeds, 2 grams (for children aged 2 - 4 years) and 3 grams (for those aged > 4 years) per day.

Results: A total of 109 patients completed the study (56 in D. sophia and 53 in PEG group). At the end of the study, 36 (64.3%) patients in D. sophia group and 29 (54.7%) in PEG group were out of Rome III criteria (P = 0.205). Median weekly stool frequency in 0, 1, 2, 3 weeks of the treatment was found to be 2, 5, 5, 5 in D. sophia and 3, 4, 4, 5 in PEG group (P = 0.139, 0.076, 0.844, 0.294), respectively. The number of patients who suffered flatulence was less (5, 8.9%) in D. sophia group as compared to PEG group (6, 11.3%) at the end of the trial (P = 0.461). D. sophia taste was less tolerated.

Conclusions: D. sophia is introduced as a cheap and available medication which can be applied as a safe alternative to conventional PEG in the management of pediatric chronic functional constipation.

Keywords: Children; Constipation; Descurainia Sophia; Polyethylene Glycol.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Comparison of Retention Posturing in Descurainia Sophia and PEG Group in the Three Week Follow-up
The differences between both groups were not significant (P values at weeks 0, 1, 2 and 3 were 0.156, 0.275, 0.643 and 0.586 respectively.).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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