Infant dyschezia in Sri lankan children: epidemiology and risk factors

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Little is known regarding functional gastrointestinal diseases in infants, especially in developing countries. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of infant dyschezia in relation to bowel habits and sociodemographic factors in a representative community sample in Sri Lanka. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of 0 -7-month-old infants, attending 14 growth monitoring and immunization clinics in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. A self-administered questionnaire was used to determine gastrointestinal symptoms, the infant's bowel habits and sociodemographic characteristics for a total of 1004 infants. The questionnaire was translated to the native language (Sinhala) and pretested. Infant colic and infant dyschezia were diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of infant dyschezia in Sri Lanka was 4.3%. An infant was more likely to suffer from infant dyschezia if he or she was formula-fed (9.6% vs. 7.8% in breast fed and 4.2% in those on additional foods, P = 0.025) or had a highly educated father (mean years of education 13.5 [SD 4.0] vs. 12.3 [SD 2.6] in unaffected children, P = 0.005). No significant association was found between infant dyschezia and age, sex, gestational age, birth order, birth weight, current weight, and presence of domestic violence (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infant dyschezia is a significant health problem in Sri Lanka affecting approximately 4.3% of healthy infants. Infants with infant dyschezia are more likely to be formula-fed and have a highly educated father.