Efficacy of Cassia fistula Syrup on Constipation in Pregnant Women: an Open-Label Controlled Randomised Clinical Trial

Abstract

IntroductionConstipation occurs in 11–40% of pregnant women. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Cassia fistula syrup (CF) on managing constipation in pregnant women. MethodsThis clinical trial study was performed on 70 pregnant women who were referred to the clinic of obstetrics of Rouhani Hospital, Babol, North of Iran. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In both groups, dietary and physical activity recommendations were done. In one group, CF was prescribed. Patients were visited 1–2 weeks after entering the study to evaluate the frequency of defecation, pain, and consistency of stool based on Visual Analogue Scale. ResultsThe frequency of defecation per week varied from 1.97 ± 0.73 to 5.19 ± 1.39 in the CF group after 2 weeks of intervention, which was significantly more than the control group changed from 1.26 ± 0.44 to 1.66 ± 0.53 (P-value < 0.001).Pain during defecation and the consistency of stool significantly improved in the CF group compared with the control group (P-value < 0.001 in both). All the effects of CF appeared from the fourth day of medication. No important side effects occurred in both groups. The mean weight and hospitalisation of the newborns were not significantly different between groups (P-value = 0.79, 0.62, respectively). ConclusionCF could be effective for constipation in pregnant women.