Table 1 Baseline characteristics

Number of subjects

20

Age in years

8 (4–16)

Sex (male)

10

Time of constipation before intake (years)

3.5 (0.3–6.5)

Treatment time before intake (months)

12 (0–48)

Bowel habits, n (%)

   • Bowel movements < 3/week

12 (60%)

   • Faecal incontinence ≤ 2/week

1 (5%)

   • Faecal incontinence > 2/week

15 (80%)

   • Large amounts of stools

12 (60%)

Stool consistency, n (%)

   • Hard stools

7 (35%)

   • Normal stools

13 (65%)

   • Watery stools

0

Painful defecation, n (%)

   • No pain

7 (35%)

   • Sometimes painful

7 (35%)

   • Always painful

6 (30%)

Abdominal pain, n (%)

   • No abdominal pain

3 (15%)

   • Sometimes abdominal pain

8 (40%)

   • Often abdominal pain

9 (45%)

Physical examination, n (%)

   • Abdominal scybala

4 (20%)

   • Rectal scybala

4 (20%)

   • Anal Fissures

0