title: Observations on the curative effect of lactulose for postpartum constipation based on a large sample study.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lactulose in the intervention treatment of postpartum women with constipation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study adopted the multicenter clinical survey with a big sample which enrolled 4781 valid questionnaires from postpartum women in 18 different districts. All of them were treated with lactulose oral solution. Their constipation-related symptoms and routine examination on blood, urine and stool were monitored before and after lactulose intervention. The treatment duration lasted 2 weeks and all the patients were followed for 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Their stool consistency, daily defecation frequencies, defecating time and dyschezia were improved significantly after lactulose intervention, and the good therapeutic effect was remained at the off-medication session. Furthermore, abnormal rate of each index in blood, urine and stool examination showed a decreased trend.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lactulose offered good therapeutic benefit and could be developed as an effective intervention to postpartum women with constipation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Shandong Province Hospital Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Xinghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Beijing Gynaecology and Obstetrics Hospital of Capital Medical University Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yuanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410008, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Yurong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Xinqiao Hospital Chongqing 400037, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Wuhan Central Hospital Wuhan 430014, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central-South University Changsha 410013, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Jingxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Lanzhou General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital Chongqing 404000, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University Urumqi, Xinjiang 830028, China.
authors.forename: Danrui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Shandong Province Hospital Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Xietong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Postpartum; constipation; lactulose