A new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition aimed to determine the long-term efficacy of polyethylene glycol (PEG) during the maintenance treatment of childhood functional constipation (FC).

This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial which enrolled 102 children, between 2 and 16 years of age, with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria. These pediatric patients were assigned to either maintenance treatment with PEG or placebo, for 24 weeks. Children who reported treatment failure were switched over to conventional therapy. Primary outcome was successful treatment after 24 weeks of therapy.

The findings revealed that a notably greater number of patients in the PEG group were successfully treated after 24 weeks of therapy. Whereas considerably fewer children in the PEG group had to be switched to conventional therapy. Time before the change to conventional therapy was 13 and 27 days for each of the two children in the PEG group who required conventional therapy. Meanwhile, at 24 weeks after the initiation of treatment, 67% children in the PEG group were successfully treated, compared to 32% children in the placebo group. No serious adverse event related to use of PEG was reported.

Hence, it was concluded that long-term maintenance therapy with PEG is significantly more effective than placebo in preventing relapse of constipation symptoms for childhood with FC.