Abstract:
Childbirth is the most stressful, exhilarating and fulfilling moment in a mother’s life. Each
labour experience is unique and calls for a celebration. The delivery procedure is addressed as
vaginal delivery and caesarean sections. Caesarean sections (CS) can be planned or done in an
emergency. Caesarean sections generally have increased maternal surgical risks for the current
and subsequent pregnancies compared to spontaneous vaginal delivery. The restoration of gut
motility after surgery may be one of the postoperative problems.
Early oral intake, early mobilization, and a postoperative feeling of well-being are all aided by
the early restoration of bowel motility. Generally following an abdominal surgery small intestine
activity returns to normal function in few hours, gastric activity returns in 24-48hrs and colon
activity will return by 48-72 hours1.
Some degree of adynamic ileus follows every laparotomy and also follows after caesarean
deliveries. Postoperative ileus (POI) is primarily caused by a complex pathophysiology that is
not fully understood. It can result in considerable patient morbidity and is frequently a reason
for consulting gastroenterologists. POI is generally described as a temporary reduction in
normal gastrointestinal movement following surgery, typically lasting 3-5 days. It is marked by
symptoms such as abdominal swelling, absence of bowel sounds, and no passage of gas or stool.
Factors exacerbating POI include postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, delayed resumption of
oral intake, and extended hospital stays. The overall incidence of POI for all operative
procedures in the abdomen is 9.2%2.
For prevention, surgical goal strives to minimize bowel manipulation, avoid excess IV fluids or
profound hypovolemia and limit surgery length. After surgery gum chewing enhanced early
bowel function recovery. Chewing gum has recently become recognized as a novel, convenient, easily accessible, and of
less cost to reduce postoperative ileus (POI). It works by stimulating intestinal movement
through the cephalic-vagal reflex and by enhancing gastrointestinal hormone secretion
responsible for bowel motility. This leads to the early restoration of bowel sounds, the passage
of gas, and the return of appetite3. Therefore, we have undertaken the study to assess the
effectiveness of chewing gum in promoting bowel motility following caesarean delivery.
