flixweed vs. polyethylene glycol in the treatment of childhood functional constipation: a randomized clinical trial

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.