PEDIATRICS Vol. 73 No. 2 February 1984, pp. 199-205
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Loening-Baucke, V. A.
Right arrow Articles by Younoszai, M. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Loening-Baucke, V. A.
Right arrow Articles by Younoszai, M. K.

Effect of Treatment on Rectal and Sigmoid Motility in Chronically Constipated Children

Vera A. Loening-Baucke MD1 and M. Kabir Younoszai MD1

1 From the Division of Ambulatory and Community Pediatrics and Gastrointestinal Division, Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City

Using three pressure transducers, motility of the lower and upper rectum and sigmoid was recorded in 18 healthy and 18 chronically constipated children. The 36 children had a wide range of values for frequency of contractions, duration, amplitude, percent of activity, and surface area under the contraction curves. The mean values for percent of activity and surface area were significantly lower in the constipated than in the control children in all three recording areas (P < .05). Motility in the constipated children, after 2 months of treatment that included milk of magnesia, showed significant increase when compared with corresponding pretreatment values (P < .05), and were not different from corresponding values of the control children (P > .1). Seven to 12 months and 3 years later, rectal and sigmoid motility remained normal. Three-year follow-up revealed that most of the constipated children were not completely free of constipation and fecal soiling in spite of normal motility. Therefore, it appears that the hypomotility in the untreated patients was the result of the chronic fecal impaction and rectal distension and while it was not the cause of the constipation, it may have contributed to its severity.

Key Words: motility • sigmoid • rectum • healthy and constipated children • effect of treatment

Submitted on January 10, 1983
Accepted on March 8, 1983




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GutHome page
M M van den Berg, W P Voskuijl, G E Boeckxstaens, and M A Benninga
Rectal compliance and rectal sensation in constipated adolescents, recovered adolescents and healthy volunteers
Gut, May 1, 2008; 57(5): 599 - 603.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]