Chewing gums has stimulatory effects on bowel function in patients undergoing cesarean section: A randomized controlled trial

Farideh Mohsenzadeh Ledari,Shanaz Barat,Mouloud Agajani Delavar

doi:10.17305/bjbms.2012.2452

Farideh Mohsenzadeh Ledari, Shanaz Barat + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2012.2452

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Abstract

The aim of study was to investigate the effect of postoperative gum chewing on the recovery of bowel function after cesarean section. Total 100 women delivered by lower uterine segment section cesarean under local anesthesia (spinal). Eligible patients were randomly allocated into two groups: a gum-chewing group (n=50) or a control group (n= 50). The gum-chewing group participants who received one stick of sugarless gum for one hours, three times daily immediately after recovery from anesthesia and the control group had the usual postoperative care until being discharged. All women were followed up regularly until discharge from hospital, and recorded the times to the ﬁrst bowel sounds of normal intestinal sounds, the time to the ﬁrst passage of ﬂatus, the time to the first feeling of hunger, and the time to the first defecation. The operative data, postoperative tolerance of gum chewing, and postoperative complications were documented. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics such as age, body mass index, parity, duration of surgery, number of miscarriages and curettages, time to the first feeding, the amount of serum intake, and type of cesarean section. The mean average postoperative interval of the first bowel sounds (21.9 versus 26.1 hours, p= 0.016), the first feeling of hunger (11.8 versus 14.5 hours, p= 0.050), the first passage of flatus (24.8 versus 30.0 hours, P=0.002), the first defecation (30.6 versus 38.4 hours, P= 0.0001) was significantly shorter compared to the control group.

Highlights

The aim of study was to investigate the effect of postoperative gum chewing on the recovery of bowel function after cesarean section
Cesarean section is the most common surgery among women which is associated with central nervous system (CNS) changes in postoperative, leading to decreased bowel movements and driven problems among women ( )
Postoperative ileus is defined as transient cessation of coordinated bowel motility after surgical intervention ( ), and is one of the major problems of post-abdominal surgery along with delays hospital discharge, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, inability to start oral feeding and, breastfeeding, and eventually increases the cost of hospital care ( )

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Cesarean section is the most common surgery among women which is associated with central nervous system (CNS) changes in postoperative, leading to decreased bowel movements and driven problems among women ( ). Chewing gum can bring on a feel faint because it stimulate the stomach, enhances gastric secretion, increases peristaltic bowel movements and hastens recovery from ileus ( - ). FARIDEH MOHSENZADEH LEDARI ET AL.: CHEWING GUMS HAS STIMULATORY EFFECTS ON BOWEL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CESAREAN SECTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL studies, beneficial effect of chewing gum has been approved in the resumption of bowel function ( - ), but in some others such as Quah et al, ( ) contradictory findings have been achieved for the effects of gum chewing on peristaltic movements and digestive system stimulation It seems that a necessity is felt for more investigation on such a least-expensive physiological method in stimulating the return of bowel function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of chewing gum on the recovery of bowel function after cesarean section in women

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CONCLUSION