title: Flixweed vs. Polyethylene Glycol in the Treatment of Childhood Functional Constipation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clinically compare D. sophia with PEG 4000 (without electrolyte) in pediatric constipation and to assess its efficacy and side effects.
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran ; Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nimrouzi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sadeghpour
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hadi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Imanieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shams Ardekani
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: School of Iranian Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad Bagher
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Minaei
authors.affiliation: Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran ; Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zarshenas
keywords: Children; Constipation; Descurainia Sophia; Polyethylene Glycol