TREATMENT
Review: high-quality evidence on the effectiveness of laxatives for functional constipation in children is limited
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Are laxatives and dietary measures effective for functional constipation in children?
Included studies compared osmotic, bulk-forming, stimulant or emollient laxatives, lubricating agents, or dietary measures with placebo, no treatment, or alternative treatments in children 
18 years of age who had functional constipation. Exclusion criteria included studies of children with psychiatric disease, organic constipation, exclusively non-retentive faecal incontinence, or mental handicap. Outcomes included treatment success (defined by individual studies) or defecation frequency.
Medline and EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (to Dec 2007) and reference lists were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), comparative clinical trials (CCTs), or crossover studies. 28 studies (n = 1912, duration of follow-up 2 d to 12 mo) met the selection criteria: 21 RCTs, 1 CCT, and 6 crossover studies. 9 studies evaluated polyethylene glycol (PEG); 7 evaluated lactulose; 3 studies each evaluated cisapride, senna, and mineral oil; 2 evaluated fibre (cocoa husk supplements or glucomannan); and 7 evaluated other
University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Child health
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Constipation
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Child and adolescent psychiatry (paedatrics)
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Child and adolescent psychiatry
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Drugs: gastrointestinal system
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