©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026.
World J Clin Pediatr. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 113925
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.113925
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.113925
Table 5 Novel strategies to improve clinical trials in pediatric constipation
| Suggestion | Description |
| Adaptive trial design | Use adoptive Bayesian or response-adaptive randomization designs, which allow modification of the study as data accumulate. It may help to find subgroups that respond to the intervention |
| Biomarker or mechanism-based approach | Instead of using the symptom-based outcome measures, it is possible to use biomarkers such as improved colonic transit and alteration of anorectal physiology after therapy as endpoints |
| Emphasize more on patient-centered outcomes | Rather than relying on symptom-based endpoints, using other measures, including improvement of quality of life, improvement of school attendance, can be used to assess the efficacy |
| Network meta-analysis to assess relative efficacy | This method helps to combine direct and indirect evidence to estimate the relative efficacy for each pair of interventions |
- Citation: Rajindrajith S, Hathagoda W, Balakrishnan K, Devanarayana NM. Pharmacological management of childhood constipation: Bridging today’s gaps with tomorrow’s therapies. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 113925
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2219-2808/full/v15/i1/113925.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.113925