WOFAPS 2025 8th World Congress of Pediatric Surgery

Mohadeseh Shad ¹, Ali Samady Khanghah ², Reza Shojaeian ¹, Khashayar Atqiaee ¹

¹ Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
² Ardabil University of Medical Sciences

Purpose: Rectal prolapse, characterized by the extrusion of the rectal mucosa through the anal sphincter, is a relatively rare condition in children. This condition can be attributed to several anatomical and functional factors. This study aimed to investigate defecation habits in children with rectal prolapse.

Method: This retrospective study was conducted from 2017 to 2021 in Akbar and Sheikh children's hospitals. The study population included 50 children under the age of 14 who were diagnosed with rectal prolapse and visited the hospitals. Data were collected using pre-prepared checklists and analyzed using SPSS version 24. Inclusion criteria were children under 14 years diagnosed with rectal prolapse, while exclusion criteria included incomplete data or other severe unrelated health conditions.

Results: The results showed that 67.4% of the sample were boys, and the most affected age group was children under 2 years (38.8%). 57.1% of the children had daily bowel movements, and 68.2% reported consistently hard stools. Additionally, 48% of the children experienced pain or burning during defecation.

Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that children with rectal prolapse often face challenges related to stool consistency and defecation pain despite having frequent bowel movements. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions to improve stool consistency and manage pain to prevent and treat rectal prolapse effectively.