Chewing Gum on Bowel Motility

Mam, Small intestinal activity after abdominal surgery returns to normal function within a few hours, gastric activity returns to normal function within 24–48 h, and colonic activity returns to normal function within 48–72 h.1,2 Chewing gum activates the cephalic vagal reflex and can be used to stimulate bowel function in the postoperative period. Chewing gum stimulates the bowel motility by eating and it is considered as a virtual diet after abdominal surgery.3,4 A quantitative research approach with quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study, was conducted among Mothers who underwent LSCS in Saveetha Hospital after obtaining ethical clearance from the institutional ethical committee and a formal permission from the department of obstetrical and gynecological the study was conducted. A Total 30 LSCS mother who fulfill meets the inclusion criteria were recruited as study participants, In that 15 in Experimental & 15 were in control group. A total of 30 LSCS mothers were recruited based on the inclusive criteria by using simple random sampling techniques, A Self structured questionnaire methods was used to gather demographic data The study employed a 3 gram liquid-filled gum with artificial sweeteners ranging from 0.05 to 0.5%. Gum chewing was began in every patients within 2 hours of operation completion, and the subjects were directed to chew it for 15 minutes every 2 hours until the bowel sounds became audible, the first flatus was passed, or 12 hours elapsed, whichever occurred first. The total number of gums chewed was recorded. Control group- patients were urged to begin feeding after 12 hours or when the bowel sounds became audible or the first flatus was passed, whichever occurred first, with liquids and semisolids followed by a regular solid diet. The study's outcomes were assessed by directly questioning the participants and through observational checklists. Collected data were tabulated for comparative analysis. CONCLUSION The current study suggests that chewing gum increases the rate of gut motility after cesarean surgery, as evidenced by the significantly shorter time required for bowel sound appearance, flatus passage, and feces. This also applies to previous cesarean-section patients who had delayed gut motility recovery. Furthermore, chewing gum has been linked to reduced nausea and vomiting, abdominal distention, and a shorter hospital stay. As a result, gum chewing can be recommended as a normal postoperative strategy to improve gastrointestinal movement in women who have undergone a cesarean section. However, this study addressed just 30 cases of cesarean section, although the rate of cesarean deliveries has increased significantly over the last decade. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.