Chewing Sugar-Free Gum Reduces Ileus After Cesarean Section in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial
نویسندگان
1 Department of Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
2 Fatemeh Zahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
3 1 Department of Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran 2 Fatemeh Zahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
4 Department of Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
5 Fatemezahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Social Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
doi
چکیده
Background: Gum chewing after cesarean section may stimulate bowel motility and decrease duration of postoperative ileus.Objectives: The current study assessed the effect of chewing sugar-free gum on the return of bowel function, where cesarean section had been performed in nulliparous women.Materials and Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 60 patients, scheduled for cesarean section were randomly divided in to 2 groups gum-chewing group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) postoperatively. The patients in the gum-chewing group postoperatively chewed sugar free gum 3 times daily each time for 1 hour until discharge. The patients' demographic characteristics, duration of surgery, mean hunger time, flatus and bowel motility were compared in the two groups.Results: There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding patient demographics, intraoperative, and postoperative care.In the gum-chewing and the control group there was a significant difference in the mean postoperative interval of the first bowel movement(20.89 ± 8.8 versus 27.93 ± 9.3 hours, P = 0.004), the first feeling of hunger (10.37 ± 6.0 versus 16.33 ± 9.3 hours, P = 0.005), the first passage of flatus (25.02 ± 5.8 versus 31.08 ± 9.7 hours, P = 0.003), and the first defecation (31.17 ± 5.3versus 40.08 ± 8.8 hours, P = 0.000) respectively, which were significantly shorter in the gum-chewing group compared to those of the control group. There were no major complications in eithergroup. All patients in the gum-chewing group tolerated it without any major complications and side effects.Conclusions: The study results demonstrated that bowel motility after cesarean section in nulliparous women can be accelerated by gum chewing which is a useful, inexpensive and well-tolerated method for mothers in post-cesarean section.
