EVALUATION OF ABHAYADI GUTIKA IN MANAGEMENT OF VIBANDHA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FUNCTIONAL CONSTIPATION IN CHILDREN – A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Functional constipation is often described as difficult or infrequent bowel movements / deviation from normal frequency, painful defecation, the passage of hard stool and sensation of incomplete evacuation of stool

Constipation is considered as one of the most common symptom of GI system.It accounts for about 3% worldwide while in Asia this percentage lies in between 0.5% to 29.6%.Functional constipation in children lead to many gastrointestinal disorders such as appendicitis, intussusception, ulcerative colitis etc. and associated symptoms such as Abdominal pain (10-70%), Anorexia (10-25%), Incomplete evacuation(30-50%) & Psychological problems(20%). Constipation leads to fecal incontinence, painful defecation and hard stools, which are concerning problems in children as it hinders with their day-to-day life.Commonest treatment modality are Laxatives, which when given frequently leads to side effects, such as bloating , abdominal cramps or pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fluid and electrolyte changes, and can be habit forming in children. Hence there is a need for alternative modality of treatment for constipation in children. In Ayurveda various drugs have been mentioned which have Anulomana, Bhedana, deepana ,pachana karma and can have multidimensional effect to reduce the signs and symptoms of vibandh. Abhayadi Gutika is one of the drug mentioned in classics which includes karmas like Anulomana, deepana and pachana. Therefore, this study is undertaken for the management of Vibandh in children.