Vera A LOENING‐BAUCKE

OBJECTIVE: Constipation and encopresis are common problems in children. Still today, the role of fiber in the treatment of chronic constipation in childhood is controversial. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether fiber supplementation is beneficial in the treatment of children with functional constipation with or without encopresis. We used glucomannan as the fiber supplement.

METHODS: We evaluated the effect of fiber (glucomannan, a fiber gel polysaccharide from the tubers of the ...

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare 2 laxatives, namely, polyethylene glycol 3350 without electrolytes and milk of magnesia, evaluating the efficacy, safety, acceptance, and 1-year outcomes.

METHODS: Seventy-nine children with chronic constipation and fecal incontinence were assigned randomly to receive polyethylene glycol or milk of magnesia and were treated for 12 months in tertiary care pediatric clinics. Children were counted as improved or recovered depending on resolution of ...

OBJECTIVE: The rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity in children is the most important problem facing pediatricians today. A recent study suggested an association of obesity and constipation in children but lacked a control group for comparison. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in a large cohort of children with functional constipation and to compare it with a control group representative of the general population.

METHODS: Retrospective chart ...

BACKGROUND: Children with functional constipation and encopresis benefit from behavior modification and from long-term laxative medication. Polyethylene glycol without electrolytes has become the first option for many pediatric gastroenterologists.

METHODS: Twenty-eight children treated with polyethylene glycol without electrolytes were compared with 21 children treated with milk of magnesia to evaluate the efficiency, acceptability, side effects, and treatment dosage of polyethylene ...

The composition and spatial organization of the mucosal flora in biopsy specimens from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), self-limiting colitis, irritable-bowel syndrome (IBS), and healthy controls were investigated by using a broad range of fluorescent bacterial group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Each group included 20 subjects. Ten patients who had IBD and who were being treated with antibiotics were also ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the frequency of urinary incontinence and urinary tract infection in children with chronic constipation and report on the resolution of these with treatment of the underlying constipation.

METHODS: We evaluated the frequency of urinary incontinence and urinary tract infection in 234 chronic constipated and encopretic children before, and at least 12 months after, the start of treatment for constipation.

RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent complained of daytime urinary ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence rates for constipation and faecal and urinary incontinence in children attending primary care clinics in the United States.

METHODS: Retrospective review of case records of all children, 4-17 years of age, seen for at least one health maintenance visit during a 6 month period and followed from birth or within the first 6 months of age in our clinics. We reviewed all charts for constipation, faecal incontinence and urinary incontinence.

RESULTS: We ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of constipation in children

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.

RESULTS: Of 4,157 children <2 years of age, 185 children had constipation. The prevalence rate for constipation in the first year of life was 2.9%, and in the second year of life, the rate was 10.1%. Functional constipation was the cause in 97% of the children. Boys and ...

It is unknown if abnormal anal sphincter function as assessed by anorectal manometry is still present years after resolution of chronic constipation and encopresis. Twenty healthy controls, 12 children with constipation but no encopresis, and 20 children with chronic constipation and encopresis underwent anorectal manometric testing, using intraluminal pressure transducers and a balloon for rectal distention. Anorectal measurements were repeated in the 20 constipated and encopretic ...

AIM: To study the role of intestinal flora in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS: The spatial organization of intestinal flora was investigated in normal mice and in two models of murine colitis using fluorescence in situ hybridization.

RESULTS: The murine small intestine was nearly bacteria-free. The normal colonic flora was organized in three distinct compartments (crypt, interlaced, and fecal), each with different bacterial compositions. Crypt bacteria were present in the cecum ...

OBJECTIVE: An elevated concentration in the colon of the primary bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) or the secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid (DCA) is known to induce water secretion, causing diarrhea. We hypothesized that of the many fecal bile acids, only CDCA and DCA function as endogenous laxatives; therefore, a decrease in their proportion may be a cause of childhood functional constipation. To test this possibility, fecal bile acid composition was determined in children with ...

OBJECTIVES: We have recently reported the safety and efficacy of polyethylene glycol 3350 without electrolytes (PEG) for the daily treatment of constipation in older children. Because there are very few data available on the use of PEG in infants and toddlers, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of PEG for the treatment of constipation in children <2 years of age.

METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of 75 constipated children <2 years of age at start of PEG therapy. PEG was ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Rectal sensations to balloon distention are impaired in children with chronic constipation and encopresis. The impairment of rectal sensation, which is often persistent and is related to nonrecovery, could be caused by a defect in the visceral afferent pathways. The aim of this study was to test whether the afferent pathway from the rectum is impaired in children with constipation and encopresis.

METHODS: Fifteen healthy children and 15 children with constipation and ...