Gum chewing linked to improvements in major outcomes of digestive system activation
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Gum chewing seems to be effective for reducing post-cesarean delivery gastrointestinal (GI) complications, according to a meta-analysis published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Hagit Hochner, Ph.D., from Hebrew University-Hadassah in Israel, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the role of gum chewing for activation of the GI system following cesarean delivery. The meta-analysis included five randomized controlled trials, with 846 participants, which compared gum chewing versus a non-gum chewing intervention.
Compared to the group that did not chew gum, the researchers found that gum chewing demonstrated a beneficial impact on the major outcomes of digestive system activation, such as bowel sound, gas passage, and defecation.
“Gum chewing in the immediate postoperative period following cesarean delivery may provide a socially acceptable, low-cost, and safe intervention to reduce post-cesarean delivery GI complications and restore GI function,” the authors write.
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