Background: The prevalence of constipation in childhood is 0.7% to 29.6%. Inorganic causes are considered as the most common cause of constipation in children. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the most effective and safest laxatives which is usable in children in the long-term. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effect of PEG treatment and probiotic bacilluscoagulans and bifidobacterium and probiotic to enhance the growth of probiotics.

  Materials and Methods: In this double blind clinical trial study(interventional study), 120 children aged 2-16 years with chronic functional constipation enrolled the study based on ROME III criteria. The bowels became empty by using liquid paraffin. Then, children were randomly divided into three groups of polyethylene glycol+placebo and Probiotics+placebo and polyethylene glycol+probiotics recipients. After 6 weeks of treatment, treatment success rates between the three groups were compared before and after the study Data analyzed by SPSS 20 software.

  Results: The results of the study conducted on the three groups for treatment of constipation showed that the effect of polyethylene glycol and probiotic on treatment was considerable before and after treatment but the levels of effect was similar in the comparison of groups. The simultaneous use of two drugs was more effective than a single drug.

Conclusion: Overall, the results of our study showed that concurrent use of polyethylene glycol and probiotics is much more effective in the treatment of constipation.

Background: Constipation is a functional gastrointestinal disorder and the use of probiotics is considered as a new solution in prevention and treatment of constipation. The aim of this study is to review the clinical evidence about probiotics effects in the prevention and treatment of constipation.

Materials and Methods: To review the accessible evidence about efficacy of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of constipation, the search of key words such as constipation, probiotic and yoghurt are conducted in databases Pubmed, Medlinplus and Cochran from 1980-2013 and of 49 articles about constipation, 16 yandomized controlled clinical trial articles and 3 pre-test and post-test randomized trials that investigated the effects of probiotics on constipation were included in this study.

Results: Probiotics produced lactic acid and fatty acids with short chains that decrease the colon pH and stimulate muscular contractions and intestinal peristalsis. Some of probiotics can increase the mucous discharge and change linked bile salts to free bile salts entering much water to colon and leads to soft defecation.

Conclusion: Considering studies, daily use of probiotics such as lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria lactic 10⁵-10¹¹ CFU/gr for at least 1-2 weeks can help to decrease constipation.