Comparison of the effects of gum chewing with those of early initiation of oral feeding and routine regimen on recovery of bowel function in primiparous women after cesarean section

Ileuses is one of the most common problems after abdominal surgery including cesarean section (CS) which leads to inability to start feeding. Several studies have been performed on the effects of liquid diet in the postoperative period on the recovery of bowel movement but there has been no perfect study on the effect of gum chewing on this subject. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of early oral feeding with liquid diet on the recovery of bowel movements with that of gum chewing in primiparous women after (CS) in Hajar Hospitral in Shahrekord in 2007. In this randomized clinical trial, 180 patients scheduled for elective cesarean section were randomly divided into three groups: gum-chewing group (n=30), early feeding group (n=30) and control group (n=30) postoperatively. The patients in the gum-chewing group chewed postoperatively sugar free gum four times daily, each time for 15 minutes, as soon as they recovered from anesthesia. In the early oral feeding group the women received a liquid diet within six hours after surgery, and control group received routine post operative dietary regimen. Data were analyzed by x2, paired and independent t tests and one way ANOVA. p<0.05 was considered significant. Recovery of bowel movements in the gum chewing and early oral feeding groups was significantly faster than that of control group and was faster in gum chewing group in comparison to early oral feeding group (P<0.05). Gum chewing after CS is safe, inexpensive and beneficial which is well tolerated by the patients and associated with rapid resumption of intestinal function and rapid recovery of the patients after cesarean-section.